Stay With Me
by Rangrasiya
Summary: <html><head></head>I don't want you to leave. Will you hold my hand? Won't you stay with me? - MarriageLaw, RL/HG (M for later chapters)</html>
1. Him

Disclaimer – If you know it already, I don't own it.

**Him  
><strong>He didn't know when it had happened.

_When did this happen?!_

He didn't know why it happened to him.

_Why him… after the life he has led…_

But if there was one thing he didn't question, it was the how. He was sure as hell exactly how it had happened. This beautiful thing. This disgusting gift. He knew exactly when his affections for the young witch had begun to grow beyond the boundaries of platonic. When he had thought he couldn't possibly have _another_ reason to admire her, she made sure she gave him one. Her intelligence and wit aside, the sexual tension that radiated off him every time he saw her right before the onset of the full moon was palpable. She couldn't possibly have not noticed how he stared at her, his eyes running hungrily down her long, slender legs, his arms wanting so much to wrap around her waist, his hands to run through her beautiful wild locks, his tongue to – _Stop it this instant! _He chided himself.

_You old incestuous bastard._

She was his best friend's godson's friend. She could practically pass off as his daughter. And the more he thought about it, the more he believed it. They were so similar in nature, with very few stark differences, that if he claimed they were related, no one would question it. Yes, it was a disgusting gift indeed. This feeling of being so close to someone, yet always at arm's length. And now he was stuck in the exact position he wanted to be in, but in the worst possible way.

Remus Lupin sat in his arm chair, in the library of his home, and stared at his palms in disbelief. He had yet to wrap his head around the idea. The fireball had come raging at him, and he had been too shocked to respond, letting it hit him right in the face. He had fallen ungracefully, and probably hurt the girl who was now indefinitely standing behind him for protection. The same girl he had grown to want. Leaning back, he let his head rest on the soft red cushion of the chair, closing his eyes, and trying to calm himself down.

_A warm cup of tea is exactly what he needed to calm his mind and help him sleep. And so he had ventured down into the kitchen and brewed some for himself. It was an uncommon type of herbal tea which he had bought from a specialty store, which helped relieve stress, without making him lazy or drowsy. This was great for the days he was working until late, or had a particularly bad morning. As he trudged back up to his room, he reveled in the warmth that the tea brought on such a cold night. The house was old and did little for insulation without added charms. He really needed to get around to putting those up before they all froze to death. A gurgled cry erupted from the door to his left and he stopped in his tracks. It had not been loud but his acute senses had picked it up loud and clear. He waited a moment, and heard a similar cry seep through the doors once more. _

_Bed springs._

_At first Remus chuckled. Kids these days. How about putting up a silencing charm or two while conducting such private activities? He smiled as he remembered the amount of times he had accidentally walked in on Sirius, or James and Lily, and had backed out of the room in horror, leaving the men laughing and the women equally petrified. Just as quickly as the thought had come to his mind, it had flown away too, and his mood soured. This was her room. The ache that ripped through him shocked him. He backed away from the door, confused. He knew he felt close to the girl but what he was experiencing now was flat out jealousy. He didn't understand it, and he didn't want to either. Remus turned away from the door with resolve and started walking away when he heard it. She screamed, not a scream of pleasure but one of suffering, followed by a loud thud. The sounds had been muffled, probably by her sheets, but Remus had caught them as if she had been standing right next to him. Without a second thought, adrenaline from jealousy mixed with sincere worry coursing through him, he rushed into the room and towards her bed, to find her thrashing around uncontrollably. He put his tea on the floor, next to the book she had probably just knocked off the bedside table, and sat at the edge of the bed, securing her arms as he pulled her close. She fought against him, her unconscious mind raging a war inside her, but he held her tight and whispered comforts into her hair and soon he felt her body relax._

"_Remus…" Her voice was shaky and soft, and it broke his heart to hear her sound as vulnerable as she did._

"_Shhh, I'm right here," Even in her state, she had recognized him instantly, and that had made him one part confused and two parts giddy. _

Snap out of it Moony!

_He turned his focus back to the girl in his arms. She felt warm and soft, so when he pulled back from her, the loss of heat only accentuated the loss of contact. _

"_No"_

_If it wasn't for Remus' heightened hearing, he probably wouldn't have caught the sound of her voice through her sigh, "What the matter, love?" He spoke in soft, hushed tones, trying to sooth her._

"_Please just stay next to me for now."_

_Remus knew he couldn't deny her. Merlin knows how many nights he had woken up in a sweat, needing for some physical contact, something as small as a hold of his hand, to keep him grounded. He nodded when she looked up at him, and climbed over her to the other side of the bed. Wedged between her and the wall, on this small bed, he cursed himself for feeling the way he was. She was still shaking, and he pulled her closer, holding her as she calmed. Remus lay on his back, eyes closed, reveling in the feeling of having this beautiful girl so close to him. Her head was resting on his arm, and her limbs were draped across him. And as she slipped into a deep, more relaxed sleep, he slipped as well, down the slippery slope which he could never have anticipated would take him as far as it would in the near future._

In retrospect, he could see that what he thought was harmless comfort that day, was actually the beginning of his fall. He understood that the way he had spent the night running his hands up and down her arms, under the pretense of helping her sleep, he had actually set in motion a chain of reactions that would bring him to where he was today. Remus didn't think that he was, by any means, in love with the witch, but he was sure as hell close, and that thought scared him more than anything. Even more than his impending situation. He rubbed his face vigorously, trying to wipe away the guilt he felt, and took a deep breath, slouching further into his couch.

_When Remus' eyes blinked open a few hours later, he yawned, still quite exhausted. He had turned on his side, with one arm stretched underneath her head, and the other resting on her waist. Their legs had become tangled up in each other, but worse – or was it better – was the distance left between their faces. His lips were mere centimeters away from her nose, and if he leaned in the slightest bit, he could place a soft little flutter of a kiss on the tip of it. Remus didn't move an inch. He knew that soon she would wake up and leave, and he wanted to stay basking in the comfort of this proximity a lot longer than he would like to admit. He closed his eyes, and they lay in each other's arms, opening them every few minutes to peek at her, to contemplate leaving a peck on her forehead or her nose, and then to shun the idea as soon as it came. When she came to, she stiffened momentarily, relaxing again probably as the memories of last night came to her. He was stroking her back lightly. When he was a young boy, his mother would stroke his head or his back to put him to sleep. She sighed deeply and snuggled into him, bringing them closer than they already were, if that was even possible. Remus stayed still as a statue, because the added proximity meant that the slightest of movements would make his lips brush lightly against the bridge of her nose. He was thanking all the Gods that he hadn't changed out of his jeans and into his sweats, as he usually did, because sweats would do nothing to conceal his raging hormones. Lost in his own thoughts, for a moment, he didn't realize the slight shift as she tilted her head to look up at him. His lips brushed her skin down the bridge of her nose and hovered above her lips. His eyes darkened with lust as she stared at him for a moment. She didn't move back, and neither did he._

"_Good morning" Her voice was raspy from having just woken up._

_He whispered his reply, unable to speak any louder, afraid to break the moment they were in, "Good morning to you too."_

"_Thank you, Remus."_

_He knew what she was thanking him for, and truthfully, he understood the need she felt. She didn't need to thank him. But that was a conversation for later. For now, he nodded ever so slightly and accepted it. He didn't know exactly what he had expected to happen after this. But it was definitely not this. Turning her head back down, his lips brushed her nose lightly again. The teasing touches were breaking him from the inside, and he tried to shift onto his back, to create some space between their faces. He could only take so much of her breathing onto his neck. She moved aside to let him turn, and then lay back down the same way they had started, with her small body draped across his larger one. Maybe he had expected her to jump out of bed the moment she woke up. Maybe he had expected her to apologize incessantly and then shy away. Never had he thought that she would relax back into his arms and fall asleep again. Remus wrapped his arm around the back of her shoulders and held her, as he fell asleep more easily than he had in years._

He liked to think that that was the night that everything had changed. Because if it wasn't for what he had felt that night, he wouldn't have understood the lack of it when the next night had come. He had never missed what he never had, but after holding her in his arms for so long, he missed the feeling of her wrapped around him. Alone in his bed, he missed the warmth of her next to him. They had gone back to the way they were, friends who had grown close with their shared interests, spending time a lot of time together, but Remus had begun to venture out at night a lot more than he used to. At first, the random women in his bed had sated his need for temporary companionship. He had gotten what he wanted, and so did the women. But the more time he spent with the young witch, the less comfort he felt with the women he picked up, until he stopped picking them up altogether. Instead, he turned to his old friend, firewhisky. To his recollection, he had never seen her go out on a date, and while he wanted her to be happy, for that he was slightly grateful. He had seen her with her male colleagues once or twice, when they had insisted on dropping her home, or discussing work over coffee instead of at her office, and the same green face of jealousy had formed in him again, just like the first night, only getting stronger as it welled up inside of him. He couldn't really take it out on her, though he almost had once.

Now, he was being handed his dream on a platter. But at what cost? What would be the repercussions? What would she be thinking? His life was going to change forever, but Gods, he couldn't even begin to imagine what she would be going through right now. He shouldn't have been here, holed up in his house, trying to drown his guilt in alcohol. He should have been back at the headquarters, where she was right now. He knew she was very sensible. She would want to talk this through, to work it out logically. But logic was the last thing on his mind, and so he sat in his home selfishly and moped. After everything he had been through, he was allowed to be selfish for once.

Remus Lupin kicked the papers off the foot stool in front of him and put his feet up. The sheets of paper fell onto the floor, the very sheets that had released him and condemned him. He could see the words now, peeking out from the masses of shuffled papers –

_-any and all circumstances within 30 days of issuance-  
>-requires all mugglebor-<br>-age to be wed to a pure/halfblood-  
>-severe incarceration for non-compliant memb-<br>-report to Department of Magical Law Enf-_

And so it had been decreed.

Remus Lupin was going to marry Hermione Granger within the next 30 days.


	2. Her

Disclaimer – If you know it already, I don't own it.

_**Normally I wouldn't update so soon after posting a chapter, but this is for the two people who followed the story within hours of me posting it. I hope I do your expectations proud.**_

**Her**

She lay in bed, exhausted. The Order meeting had been a disaster. Things were supposed to be getting better. This wasn't supposed to happen. But it had. And she had to suck it up and deal with it. She had kept a straight face in front of everyone. She could feel the eyes on her, everyone throwing her pitiful glances, feeling sorry for her. But she wasn't having any of it. She wanted to throw a fit, to cry, to storm out, but that just wasn't how she functioned in front of people. There had been a time when she let her temper get the best of her, but she was older, and she was done being treated like a child by all the older members of the Order. Here, behind closed doors, Hermione Granger could let go and behave how she felt. She flipped onto her stomach, face buried in her pillow, and screamed.

_Well that didn't help. This rubbish only works in the movies._

Sighing, she hit her fists against the bed and choked back tears. She didn't know what was in store for her. When the news had been broken, McGonagall had passed around a list of muggleborn witches and wizards who they knew to have no suitors, and facing incarceration. They had begun with Hermione, and had decided that it would be best for her to be wed to an Order member for her own safety. She was a crucial piece in the final battle, and surely a lot of Death Eaters would be looking for her, now that she was vulnerable. Of everyone in the room, Remus and Snape had been the only two men who were available to take on the mission. Hermione shuddered. She had never thought that someday, her marriage would be referred to as an Order mission. Since Hermione would have to live with her intended to keep up appearances, it had seemed wiser to ask Remus to step up, considering Snape's history with the Golden Trio. Remus had, of course, gracefully accepted to be Hermione's guardian through this mess.

"_Of course Minerva. The safety of our own is more important than anything," Remus' gaze shifted to Hermione, "If she shall have me."_

"_Hermione, dear, I know this is a lot to take in, and if you need time, you may take some, but this is the best option for you right now." McGonagall explained to her, as she walked towards her and placed a supportive hand on her shoulder._

_The whole room was silent. No one liked what was happening, but everyone agreed that this was the only way to save Hermione from a fate worse than death. Except for Mrs. Weasley._

"_How can we let our young be carted away with anyone – don't mind Remus dear – and just sit back?! We need to fight this. We can do it! Minerva this isn't – "_

"_Molly, we do not have the resources or intelligence to fight right now. The Death Eaters have dispersed, we have no idea where they have gone, and we have no idea who in the Ministry is on our side and who on theirs. We are unprepared and I am not putting more lives at risk for a plan that is doomed to failure." McGonagall interrupted a red faced Molly Weasley before turning to Hermione once more, "I can't begin to understand how difficult this decision is for you, but good things come to those who wait, dear."_

_Hermione looked up at her former professor and gave her a small smile, before catching Remus' eyes, "Okay…"_

And that was that. Remus was going to pick her up tomorrow and they were going to head to the ministry to sign their marriage license. Hermione had thought she would have more time, but it made sense to do it as quickly as possible, before they tried to find loopholes and stop the sudden influx of people trying to get a marriage license. Hermione turned over again and stared at the ceiling. She began picturing what the next few days would be like; living with Remus, pretending to be married to him. She wondered if she would be moving into his place, or whether they would get a new place. It wouldn't make sense to get a new one. His flat was big enough for them.

_Am I going to share a bed with that man?!_

Hermione 's breath caught in her own surprise. She hadn't thought about this. Would they be sleeping in the same room? Or would they have separate ones? Her heart beat faster and she chastised herself for her reaction. She had shared a bed with him many times before.

_Not as his wife…_

Regardless, she was entirely sure that Remus had no desire to have her intrude on his privacy. She would stay in his guest room and keep out of his hair. As nervous as she was, Hermione wasn't the least bit scared to enter into this marriage. Had it been anyone else, she would have worried about a ton of things, but with him, she knew she would be okay. They had come to an understanding with each other over the past few months, enjoying each other's company, so much so that many times, unbeknownst to him, Hermione would actively seek him out, or sit in a place she knew he would frequent around that time. The more she got to know him, the more she wanted to know about him. He was a fascinating, selfless specimen of a man, and there weren't any people around her whom she connected with as well as she did with him. She could always talk to him about the topics that interested her and he was never short on knowledge about it. She had taught him a lot about the muggle world too. He knew a little because of Lily, but a lot of the newer things were lost to him. Never once did she feel like she was making him feel stupid, or forcing the information on him. He was always eager to hear her out. It had been this insatiable quest for knowledge, much like her own, that had first drawn her to him. And then, there came many other things that drew her to him.

_Hermione screamed, trying to break free from the hands that were holding her down and whispering horrid things to her. He was going to kill her. But before that he was going to defile her. He was going to rip her in half and pass her around his table like a piece of meat. She screamed again, thrashing around, crying, trying to get away, until his voice changed. She didn't know what was happening. Confusion and fear collided with each other and she thrashed harder. Until he spoke again. It wasn't the same menacing voice that had been hunting her, that had been threatening to torture her. It was different. It was calm, inviting, and Hermione felt herself being pulled towards it._

"_Shhh, it's going to be all right sweetheart. You're safe."_

"_You're safe," Hermione felt strong arms around her, stroking her hair, whispering sweet, nurturing things into her ear. Her face was buried in his shirt, now slightly damp from her sweat and tears. She inhaled deeply and sighed, trying to calm herself down. She knew him, the spicy scent of his body, the smell of fresh parchment intermingling with his own personal musk. _

"_Remus…" Her voice came out shaky, her mind still reeling from the terrors it put itself through._

"_Shhh, I'm right here," Yes he was. He was right there, holding her in his arms, and she had never felt more relaxed. _

_Her nightmares were a personal thing. It was something she never shared with anyone. Everyone had been through a lot, and Hermione wasn't a fan of burdening someone else with her problems, when they had their own. Many nights, she would wake up crying, sweating, trying to stifle a scream; so much so that she had to muffle the area around her bed. They were always gruesome, and almost always a figment of her imagination, as if her mind was taking an experience of her life and saying 'well what if'. The scenarios it had come up with had been enough to keep her from wanting to ever sleep again. Then there were those nights when her mind decided to delve deep inside and replay her most painful memories. It was as if she was punishing herself for surviving for so long where so many had died. What made her so special? What made her deserving? What made this man in front of her give his sleep up to care for her?_

_He pulled back and before she could stop herself, the slightest whisper escaped her lips, "No."_

_Remus placed a finger under her chin and tilted her head up, wiping away her tears as he spoke, "What's the matter, love?" His voice was soft; softer than it had ever been, as if he were afraid that anything louder would hurt her. And maybe he was right. She buried her head into his shirt again._

"_Please just stay next to me for now."_

_Merlin knows what possessed her to ask what she had, but after the warmth she felt in his arms, she didn't want to go back to the dark, cold hallway that her mind had created for her to be hunted in. He paused for a second before climbing onto the other side of the bed and slipping under the covers. The loss of heat made her shiver, and she felt grateful as he pulled her closer to him, leaving her arm to rest across his torso. Hermione tried to stay awake, to revel in the feeling of having someone next to her for as long as she could, but exhaustion got the better of her and she passed out soon enough._

_When she came to, Hermione yawned, and upon trying to stretch out, she felt a heavy weight across her waist. She stiffened, worried and confused. She didn't know what was worse, that Remus had seen her in that state, that he had stayed the night at her request, or that well into the morning, he still remained in her bed. She knew he was awake. He was an early riser. And she had seen him sleep enough times to know how his body moved during it. Had he stayed in her bed because he didn't want to wake her? Guilt washed over her but dissipated almost as quickly when he began to stroke her back gently. It was the most soothing gesture anyone had made towards her, and she relaxed instantly. She sighed deeply and snuggled into him, bringing them closer than they already were, if that was even possible. She could feel his breath on her face and just for a moment, she wanted to look up at him. She wanted to see what he looked like when he woke. _

_Hermione tilted her head up, and unaware of exactly how close they were, she felt a jolt of electricity as his lips brushed lightly along the bridge of her nose. It was the slightest of touches, not even enough to merit a mention, but the reaction it had sparked in her was one she had never felt before. His eyes were dark, probably from sleeping, darker than the normally forest green shade they took. He didn't move back, and neither did she. _

_He was so close to her that it was making it hard for her to regulate her breathing, let alone speak, "Good morning."_

"_Good morning to you too."_

_She didn't know why he had stayed as long as he had. She wanted to apologize to him. She wanted to tell him that he could leave if he liked. She also, right in this moment, wanted to see what it was like to kiss this amazing man. But more than anything, she didn't want this moment to end, so she settled. _

"_Thank you, Remus." _

_She hoped he understood why she was thanking him, and when he nodded in response, she moved closer to him, and tucked her head back down, letting his lips brush against her face on purpose. It was all she was going to get from him, so she would take it. He shifted, and for a moment she thought he wanted to get up and leave. Hermione moved back immediately, giving him the room he needed, but instead of leaving, he simply turned on his back, and stretched his arm out again for her to lie down on. She almost cracked a smile, as she snuggled into him the same way she had last night, her arm and leg draped against his strong body. Feeling her exhaustion try to take over again, she shifted on his outstretched arm, and he circled it around her, holding her tightly to him, as his breathing started to become even as well. She fell asleep finally, in the arms of the man she did not know would one day be the only thing keeping her from incarceration. _

That had been the first but not the last Hermione and Remus had been that close. Two weeks later, she had found herself locked in the confines of her mind, running away from a crazy black haired witch. She was screaming at a wandless Hermione, "Filthy mudblood!" and it was all she could do was to run, dodging hexes as her tears flowed uncontrollably. Once again, she had woken up shaking, with Remus' arms around her, stroking her hair as she sobbed quietly.

_He had held for a long time, no questions asked. She clutched his shirt like an anchor, and as he laid her back on the bed, she decided she wasn't ready to let go. When he held her hand and eased it off his shirt, she left it immediately, understanding that it was wrong to pressure him into staying. She couldn't ask that of him again. She shifted and sat up against the headboard, giving him a small smile as he looked at her. He turned away, sitting with his legs hanging off the edge of the bed, and she waiting for him to head out before she tried returning to sleep again. But instead of standing up, he kicked off his shoes and socks, and climbed onto the same side as before, bringing her down to lie on his arm again. Neither of them said a word, and just as silently, they fell asleep together._

Hermione groaned inwardly and pressed her palms into her eyes. A woman in her situation would be thinking of all the drastic changes that she would have to deal with, while Hermione Granger was being a daft little schoolgirl about her crush on her ex-Professor. He would never see her the way she saw him. They were friends, true, but that's all she was. Remus was smart, talented, wise, calm, and what was she? Book smart, maybe. That was her talent. Practically memorizing Hogwarts: A bloody History since she had read it so much. She was hot tempered and bossy; maybe less bossy since her school years but it was still a part of her. She had a dominating personality, where as he was cool and collected. She knew she had some talents, but nothing compared to Remus' experience. He had beautiful sandy brown hair, and dark green eyes specked with brown that seemed to be filled with intellect. He reminded her of an older, more rugged, Andre Ziehe. She was plain in comparison. She could never stand next to him as an equal, and it only made her feel worse that by helping to protect her indefinitely, she was the reason he would not be able to find someone of his equal sooner rather than later. He was wasting his life on her, and she was letting him do it. And with that thought, she made up her mind.

_When he comes here to take me to the ministry, I will talk him out of this sordid plan._


	3. Conditions

Disclaimer – I wish I did, but I don't own anything except the plot.

_**So I've been a bit slow with writing because I'm in Manhattan for 5 days and it's a bit difficult to focus on writing when Times Square is literally (not practically - LITERALLY) at your doorstep. All my attention has been focused on getting the most of Broadway, but yeah... here's what I could do! Enjoy! And remember, reviews are life.**_

**Conditions**

She swirled the warm liquid around with a small teaspoon, sighing dejectedly. It was foolish for Remus to give his life up for her, especially when he had a real shot at living it now. The ministry was corrupt, Aurors were still working diligently to round up the remaining Death Eaters, but the war was over. _Wasn't it?_ He could settle down. She knew he always dreamed of it. They had talked about the future as much as they had discussed the past. He wanted a family, as many kids as could fill his house, noise and laughter everywhere. She couldn't take his life away from him. Hermione was not one to let others sacrifice themselves for her.

_But what will you do, Hermione? Where will you go?_

She thought about it for a second. She had saved her parents from the war, but not from the rest of the world, and in a riot that burned down many buildings, her parents' clinic had perished with them inside it. It was ironic, that after taking so many steps to help them survive a magical revolution, they died in a muggle one. But that was life. Her heart ached when she thought about them, but she had long since made her peace with it. Everybody would have to go some day. She didn't have any other family that she had kept in touch with, other than a cousin who had moved to Toronto when she began her university career. Hermione gave it a serious thought. She could move to Toronto. Sure she would have to give up magic indefinitely, live in a new place where she didn't know anyone except a cousin she only ever spoke to through e-mail, she would be away from all the people who were dearest to her, the people who had become her family… Her head fell into her arms in despair. What else could she do? It seemed like the only viable option. Move to Toronto until things smoothed over here in London. The Order wouldn't let a law like this stand for too long. She would be back before she knew it! She settled her own overactive mind once more, determined to turn Remus down when he came for her.

Looking around, she realized that if she went ahead with her plan, she didn't know when she would see this place again. And as eerie as it was sometimes, it had come to grow on her. The Order meetings, the big dinners, the library, Quidditch in the garden, she had come to love it all. The kitchen was empty now, but even then, it was familiar, and more than anything, she was going to miss the familiarity of home. The house had become very silent since the last meeting. Everyone was either on missions to help as many muggleborns as possible, or out, or holed up in their room, in an attempt to avoid making awkward conversation with her. Harry had approached her yesterday, and they lay together on the carpeted floor of the library, holding hands. She had been his rock throughout the war, and Harry had always made sure that he was there for Hermione. He had a knack for knowing when she needed what, whether it was space, some quiet company, or a reality check. But now, the whole house was still. She looked down at her tea, which had gone cold, and pushed the cup away. She hated waiting.

Just as she stood to wash out her cup, she heard the front door open. She turned her back to the kitchen door. She knew it was him. She didn't know how she knew but she just did. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Hermione walked over to the sink and began to wash the few dishes that were left in the sink, along with her own cup. When he walked in, she didn't turn around, but she greeted him nonetheless.

"Hello Remus."

Remus looked at the back of her head as she stood by the sink, cleaning up. For a second, he didn't reply. He didn't think she had seen him come in, but she had greeted him.

He cleared his throat, "Hello. Ready to go?"

_Stupid. Stupid. How about a 'how are you?', or anything in fact? She's either going to think you're a desperate old man, or that you can't wait to get this over with so that you can get sloshed at the first pub you find. How about some tact Moony?_

"No," she replied simply, "We have to talk about this. Let me get some tea for us."

He knew it would be best if they talked. It would help her come to terms with what was going on. She hadn't even had a day to process everything properly. Damn the bloody government to hell! He sat down at the chair nearest to her and watched her while she worked. She was wearing a simple white top tucked into a long pale yellow skirt. Her hair was tied in a long, intricate looking, French braid, with loose curls framing her face delicately. She didn't have any make up on, and he liked that. Her face looked clean and soft without it, and it was refreshing to see. He waited for her in silence, and he knew that she probably had a thousand things running in her head right now.

Hermione turned around with the fresh cups of tea, and was caught off guard when she found him sitting so close, staring right at her. For a small moment she thought about letting everything happen the way it was going; to be selfish and have this man as her husband, even if it was a sham. But a burning sensation grown on her fingers from holding the boiling cups for so long brought her back to her senses, and she hissed slightly, putting them down on the table. She ran her hand under cold water and came back to sit on the chair adjacent to him. The thoughts were in her head, but the words escaped her, when she opened her mouth to speak.

_Come on. This isn't the time to falter._

"Remus Idontthinkweshoulddothis."

"What?" He had heard what she said, but he didn't quite understand it. He didn't want to push her, and Remus knew that she would explain it all herself, without him having to.

"I… don't think we should do this," she said, slower this time, "The war is over. We all have a chance to start living the way we should have. We all have a chance to get all the things we should have had years ago. This – I don't even want to call it a marriage – this contract that the ministry is forcing us to enter into, we can't. We can't give in. We can fight it. Maybe it isn't safe for me but there are other ways for me to _stay_ safe."

"Hermione, do you know what you are suggesting?" He didn't know what came over him, but he suddenly became incredulous, standing up in restless fervor, "Where will you go? For Gods sake, who will you go to?! Who am I – are we – supposed to trust to protect you?"

_Protect her? _

She stood up neck to neck with him, "Protect me? Excuse me! I am not a child, Remus. I protected myself for years, when an even bigger threat loomed, and I can protect myself still. I don't need a babysitter, if that is what you are trying to do!"

"You _do_ need protecting! Why don't you understand that? Put your pride aside for a second and think about all the people you are so important to."

"No. This is _my_ problem. Don't tell me to look at my own problem from someone else's eyes. I want to keep myself safe just as much as my loved ones want me safe. I do not fancy being imprisoned or killed anytime soon either, so I am putting my pride aside and thinking about my own safety. But that does not mean I will be treated like a child. I spent ages on the run; I fought time and time again. Nothing is different!"

His eyes flared with anger as he grabbed her shoulders, "Yes. It. Is. Voldemort wanted Harry. The Death Eaters want _you._"

Hermione had never seen him this angry. He had never spoken so roughly with her, and it startled her, "What?"

"Kingsley told me he saw letters dated to be sent out tomorrow to every staff member handling the marriage licenses. They had a shortlist of names that were to be stalled and a license would not be issued to them. And if you don't get a license with 30 days, before they imprison you, they will try to find a suitor for you. Kingsley has seen the applications that have flooded into the Director's office, all asking for you. These people want muggleborns, but more than anything, they want you. But it's only been a day. Those notices are going to be sent out tomorrow Hermione. So we need to do this right now. Today. We need to do this before they realize this."

She went limp, staring at him. He was speaking to her in a more calm tone now, explaining everything to her slowly. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"B-but, I can't…" she whispered defiantly, questioning herself even as the words left her lips.

"Why Hermione?"

_Hermione. He doesn't cut it down or butcher it in any way. He always takes your full name. And for some reason, it makes you melt._

_Focus!_

As she looked at him silently, he thought that maybe he had been wrong about how close they had been. Maybe she wasn't as comfortable with him as he had thought her to be. Maybe she didn't want to be tied to him, even if it wasn't a real marriage. She's young and vibrant, he - old and dull; he could see why she –

"I can't make you give your life up for me, Remus."

"Merlin, Hermione, are you serious?" He let go of her shoulders and ran a hand through his wavy hair.

"I have a cousin in Toronto. I can go to her, until you all figure something out. I'll help as much as I can from there. You finally have a chance to do something, and I can't trap you in this fake – "

"Stop. Just be quiet," he sighed and looked at his selfless, possibly bride-to-be, "I am an old man. I have seen too much death in my life, to let another person close to me slip. Hermione, I would be honored to be trapped by you, if it meant that I got to be the reason you get to stay with your family. I know how important family is. Trust me."

_And if it meant you didn't have to leave me, and go into hiding._

She knew there was no use fighting. And after he had told her about Kingsley's findings, she was a touch more terrified.

Walking to him, she leaned her head against his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her, "Okay, Remus."

Remus breathed a sigh of relief as he tightened his grip on her for a moment, "Just be natural, and forgive me if I overstep my bounds when we head out today. We have to convince them that we are indeed a couple," he paused, "It'll be over soon, sweetheart." Taking a step back, he bent down and looked straight at her lowered head, "We best head out now, okay?"

Hermione nodded and let him take a hold of her hand as he guided her out of the house, to the apparition point, their teas left forgotten for the second time today. He stopped and turned towards her, trying to dig something out of his pocket. She looked at him, curious, "What are you looking for?" but he simply told her to wait and continued searching, until a look of recognition crossed his face and he grabbed something out of his coat pocket.

"I know that this isn't how you imagined it, but before we go there," he popped open a small box and presented it to her, "would you do me the honor, Hermione?"

_Why is this fake? Why are you so sweet?_

She smiled at him weakly and nodded, lifting her hand up and placing it in his outstretched palm. He slid the ring onto her finger, and squeezed her hand supportively before apparating to the Ministry entrance. Hermione admired the ring discreetly while they made their way to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was a simple piece, thin white gold wedding band encrusted with three stones, two small marquise rubies next to a larger marquise diamond. The band curled around the gemstones, giving it a unique shape. It was delicate, and elegant, and it reminded her of him. It looked like something he would pick, and much to her delight, like something she would pick as well. Before she knew it, they were walking through a set of doors she had never seen before. A large plaque outside read 'Muggleborn Marriage Bureau'. She shuddered involuntarily, and felt Remus' thumb stroke the back of her hand in response. The room was white from floor to ceiling, but disturbingly so, like a psych ward, rather than an office. It was also, unsurprisingly, devoid of any clients. The only people in the room were the clerks looking bored behind their counters. Or at least, they _had_ been looking bored, until the pair had walked in, turning all the heads in the office. Remus walked confidently over to a clerk he thought would give him the least trouble, and pulled out a chair for Hermione, before sitting on the chair next to her.

"We're here for a marriage license. I owled in asking for an appointment or something but apparently you don't do appointments."

"And I can see why," he added, under his breath.

The young boy sitting behind the counter stared at them. He knew who he was. He knew who both of them were. And he was sure he was going to get himself in a right mess by processing this. He looked around to the other staff but everyone had turned their gaze away from him, suddenly busying themselves with work. He cleared this throat, and took a folder out of his desk drawer, before asking them for their identification papers. Hermione looked at Remus, as he removed all the documents from his inside breast pocket, handing it to the clerk. He smiled at her, as she chewed her lips nervously, and it took all his power to keep him from getting up and kissing her. Instead, he lifted his hand, and ran his thumb along her bottom lip, cupping her chin in his hand, and whispered to her, just loud enough for the clerk to hear, "You stop biting your lips, love, or I'm going to have to make you."

Hermione gulped as she looked up at him, even more nervous than before, but for a whole other reason. A small smirk played at his lips as he turned back to face the clerk, who was now staring at them. Remus lazily threw his arm across the back of her chair, toying with a stray curl while he waited for the papers to be processed. Her hair looked beautiful the way she had braided it, but if he were honest, he much preferred her messy loose hair. He enjoyed running his hands through it, on the occasions that he had gotten a chance to do so. They were soft, loose ringlets that fell every which way, and he knew that when she was by herself, she quite liked to keep them open and natural, rather than styling it. It was only when she knew she would be having company that she bothered to do something with it. Tearing his eyes away from her, he looked at the clerk once more, only to find him stalling.

"Well? Are you chopping a tree to produce paper, or are you just naturally slow?" Remus said sarcastically, glaring at him for added effect.

"Sorry, Sir, uh - but I was just, I mean… There are some things we need to go over," the boy cleared his throat, preparing himself for what he was about to say, "to – uh – determine eligibility."

"What is there to determine? My fiancé is a muggleborn, and I want to marry her before you cart her off to some shoddy lock up because we decided to take our sweet time planning this thing."

The boy ticked off boxes on a sheet of paper with Hermione's name printed on top before turning it over to one with his name on it, "There is the – uh – question of your eligibility…" he knew he would regret saying it the moment he did, "with your condition."

"Excuse me?" But it wasn't Remus who had responded; it was Hermione, "Condition? I think you should be focusing on the condition _you_ are going to be in after I am done with you. I know the minister personally. I'll be sure to report how unhelpful you were along with the fact that you obviously aren't well versed in recent laws that have been passed regarding witches and wizards with his "condition", as you put it so well. My fiancé has all the rights that any other member of the society would. He is respectable, and double any man I have met so if you say one more thing about this, I will make sure that this be your last day holding any respectable position here. And if you know who I am, you know I am not exaggerating." Hermione snapped her fingers at him indignantly, as the clerk squirmed lower into his seat.

"Yes, Ma'am," the boy quickly filled out the remaining paperwork before handing it to the couple to sign. He gathered the documents, putting them into an envelope and sealing it. He handed them their copy of their marriage certificate, and presented them with two rings.

"What is this?"

"The ministry r-requires all couples processed through this department to wear these charmed wedding bands. It ensures that if need be, the marriage can only be annulled here, by the m-ministry. It is a safeguard in place to avoid sham marriages. P-people who fake getting married here and then get an annulment somewhere beyond the ministry's reaches," he cleared his throat, "… Sir."

Remus took the rings from him and inspected them. He took his wand out and cast charms on them silently to make sure there was nothing dangerous, or unwanted, attached to the rings. Satisfied with the results, he turned to Hermione and looked at her adoringly, sliding the ring onto her finger. Hermione knew that he was putting on an act, but his looks were making her legs feel like putty. She placed the band on his ring finger, taking a mental note to buy him one from herself, and waited, as the clerk walked around the table towards them. He tapped the rings with his wand and they glowed green, before returning to normal.

"Congratulations, Mr. Lupin, and Mrs. Lupin."

_Mrs. Lupin. You just went from Ms. Granger to Mrs. Lupin._

Hermione, not letting go of her anger towards the boy, placed her arm through Remus' outstretched one, and huffed, as she walked off. They head out of the ministry and apparated back to the headquarters, making sure the coast was clear, before entering. There was no grand celebration. There were no crying family members and cheering friends. There was no music, no dancing. Just like that, Hermione Granger had become Mrs. Hermione Lupin. Although, while there was no celebration, it had sure been a frustrating affair. She knew that the Head of Department was surely going to have the clerk's head on a platter when he heard about what had happened. And she wasn't even sorry. Serves him right for speaking to them the way that he had. She had fought in a war to change the world for the better; for it to be inclusive of any and all people, not to sit in a government office and have Remus insulted by the very structure that was meant to represent a new Era. But she had given him a right earful. She giggled, as she imagined his terrified expression, and Remus, who had been leaning against the doorframe of the kitchen, looking at her, arched an eyebrow.

"Now what are you giggling about, Mrs. Lupin?" He joked with her, without thinking, without considering that maybe she wasn't ready to take the situation with such humour.

"Just recollecting the petrified expression on our clerk's face, Mr. Lupin," she laughed, and it made him smile, both in relief, and amusement.

"He was just doing his job, love. You really were too harsh on the kid," he said as he led her into the library and sat down with her.

"He was a right git, Remus! You heard what he said," Hermione cleared her throat and mimicked the clerk's voice, "There is – uh – the question of your – uh- eligibility – uh- with your condition – uh – I would have blasted his head off if it weren't for the papers."

It had been a long time since they had laughed the way they did just now, but Hermione's impression had been priceless, and they sat together, laughing, doing what they were both known to do: making the best out of a bad situation.

"Remus?" she had stopped laughing, and her tone was questioning all of a sudden, sobering him up as he waited for her to continue, "Will I be moving in with you?"

"Yes, you will. I didn't want to rush you today, but it is something we will have to do soon, especially in the off chance that the ministry sends their pups to snoop about."

She regarded him silently before she spoke, "I have most of my things packed. It had been too late to unpack when I decided to try to get you to call all this off. I only have a few things remaining. Would you like to come help me finish up and move my things?"

"Of course…" They both stood up, and head up the stairs to her room.

She stopped mid-step and looked over her shoulder, back at him, "Do you know why no one has been around all day?"

"Molly thought you might need some space. She knows her children well. She doesn't want them to smother you, when you need space. I told her that they would be welcome to come by our place once you are ready."

_Our place._

"Our place…"

He walked up the remaining steps so that he was level with her, "Yes. It's your place too now. I know this must be hard, love, but I'm going to try to make this transition as easy as possible," he placed his arms on her shoulders, turning her away from him and pushing her along, "Now let's go get these things packed up so we can get some dinner in us. I'm absolutely famished."


	4. Whiskey Lullaby

Disclaimer – I own nothing. Nothing at all.

_**Midterm season is upon us, so updating has been difficult, plus my parents are in town, so all my spare time goes to them. But here's what I've got for you. I promise more ASAP, but I've got back to back exams this week.  
>Constructive criticism is always welcome.<strong>_

**Whiskey Lullaby**

Hermione opened the last of her boxes, standing above it and setting things in place magically. She had begun the process of unpacking the muggle way, but her hunger got the best of her, and she was eager to quicken things along. The guest room had been transformed within a matter of hours, with photographs on the walls, books in every shelf, and personal bedding. The bed was a comfortable twin that stood a little too high above the ground, and had an antique ivory polish. The room wasn't too big, but it was good enough. The beige walls and mauve carpeting gave the room a brighter look, which instantly made it more inviting than Grimmauld, regardless of size, or anything else for that matter. The whole flat was like this; bright, with soft carpets, and beautiful windows. She imagined that had been one of the reasons why Remus picked this one to live in. They all needed a little more light in their life after what they had been through.

_When Hermione walked in, all she could see were bright, warm colors, and soft lighting. This home was the poles apart from the headquarters, and she wondered why Remus didn't spend all his time here instead. The place was not too big, but the layout made it seem a lot more spacious. When she entered, there was a coat closet along the wall to her right, and two doors on the wall to her left, the first one a few steps away, and the other quite a bit further into the flat. Remus explained everything to her as she walked around. The rooms were the guest, and master bedroom, respectively. In front of her was a big living room, with a long, pale blue, Lawson-style sofa sitting across the length of it, facing the far wall. There were two, single seating sofas to the left, and a camelback to the right, all in off white. The couches surrounded a walnut coffee table that was littered with papers and open books. He had obviously been in the middle of something, when the Order meeting had been called. To the right of the living space was a beautiful dinner table stained a deep saddle-brown. It seated eight people. A bit too large for Remus, who lived all by himself. _

"_Oh this table is the perfect size for you and your sizeable family Mr. Lupin," she grinned as he looked back at her._

_He smirked in response, his voice dropping low, "Yes it is the perfect size for all my needs."_

_Hermione's jaw hung behind his back. _

Did he just say that? No… he couldn't have meant it in that way…

But then what was that voice thing! Hermione get your head out of the gutter.

_She cleared her throat and continued behind him._

_To the right of the table, this corner of the apartment was dominated by a spacious kitchen. Hermione walked around inside it, falling in love with it instantly. She loved to cook, but because of her schedule, she never had the time. However, with her recent wedding, she was expected to take time off, which meant a lot more free time. The walls were lined with cupboards, counters, and appliances, while an exquisite, marble top island sat in the middle, with two pastel green high chairs on the outer side. The whole place, save for the kitchen, was carpeted beige. _

"_And that's that. The guest room will be yours, but I will be right next to you if you need anything. You know, I think our beds are pretty much against the same wall, so if you need anything, try calling, and I'll probably hear you. Everything here is for you to use, so don't feel the need to ask me when you want to use something. Just go ahead," he paused for a second, "Is everything okay?"_

"_Yes! It's more than okay," Hermione moved closer and gave him a chaste hug, "Thank you for this Remus. If it was anyone else but you, I don't think I'd have handled it as easily. Thank you so much."_

_He reciprocated and then placed his hands on her arms, moving her back, "How does Chinese sound?"_

"_Oh it sounds perfect. Let me unpack. I hate leaving boxes lying around. And then we can eat."_

With the last of her things in place, Hermione sat on the bed with a huff, exhausted and hungry. The food had arrived twenty minutes ago, and it had been a mission to keep herself on task, rather than abandon her unpacking and run towards the smell that was radiating from her dinner. Remus had offered to help her unpack, but he didn't know where she wanted to keep what, and she politely declined. She asked him to start eating, because she might be a while, and he returned the favor, politely declining, and opting to wait for her instead. She decided that the two minutes had been enough rest for her battered feet, and she stood, heading out to the dinner table. But she found Remus in the kitchen instead, sitting on one of the high chairs, with the food laid out on the island. Pulling the other chair, she sat adjacent to him, and looked at him expectantly.

"Well? Dig in!"

The couple sat in silence for the next few minutes, focused only on eating. Hermione's stomach had been making unpleasant noises for the past two hours, so she had to remind herself to breath every so often. The food was absolutely delicious, and when their pangs of hunger had lessened to a fading ebb, they slowed down, and struck up conversation. Politics, economics, media, they covered everything, jumping from topic to topic like a game of hot potato, and Hermione was glad about the relationship that had grown between them over the past few months. Had it not existed, she was sure this would have been a hundred times harder. But Remus seemed to know what she needed to hear, and how she needed to be treated, so that she didn't go into shock because of the suddenness of it all.

Setting the dishes to wash, Hermione tasked him with putting the take out boxes in recycling, while she cleared the rest of the island, and wiped it down. She walked out of the kitchen, letting out a yawn, and saw him standing in the living room, waiting for her.

"You're tired. Time to hit the bed?"

"I think so. It's been a long day."

Remus smiled at her, as she stood, not knowing what to say. A weird awkwardness had set in, and they didn't know why. Hermione smiled back, and placed a hand on his arm, wishing him good night, before walking past him, to her bedroom door. He walked into his own room, worn out from all the moving, and from keeping himself together so that Hermione wouldn't fall apart. Here, behind closed doors, he let his shoulders slump, and his clothes fall, as he climbed into bed, clad in black pajama pants.

"Good night, Hermione," he whispered, as exhaustion took him over.

Hermione lay in bed quietly. It had been two hours since she climbed in, changed and ready to sleep, but she hadn't been able to catch a wink of it. She had been tossing and turning, trying to get into a position that would ease the restless feeling that was running up and down her legs, but nothing seemed to help. Irritated, she threw the covers aside, and walked out of her room, towards the kitchen. It took a little bit of trial and error to find all the necessary items, but soon enough, she was brewing herself some tea. She sat down on the couch once her tea was ready, sipping it cautiously.

It had been a long, and emotionally charged day. First her fight with Remus; she had tried to get him to reconsider, to stop this before they made a commitment that he would regret later, but he had presented her with information she didn't have. She was shocked. She didn't know what to say or do. And he had handled it with grace. Hermione had never seen him visibly angry, but he had been then, and for bringing that out in him, she had been ashamed. The ministry had been a challenge all in its own. She had never been so livid in her life. She, and hundreds of others, had sacrificed years of their life for the sake of the greater good, and that little worm had spoken to Remus as if he was some kind of wild animal. But it was more than that. She had felt a sense of protectiveness bubble inside her; something she remembered feeling for Ron and Harry when they had been fighting the war. It was a feeling brought on by possessiveness, and now that she thought about it, she wondered where that had come from.

_Well, it's natural. You're his wife now._

His wife. The thought hit her like an anvil and Hermione stood up suddenly, finding it difficult to breathe. She paced the length of the hall, mentally counting the deep breaths she took, trying to calm herself. She was hyperventilating, she knew that, and she needed to remain calm otherwise she'd pass out. Her heart raced as the enormity of today's event really dawned on her. She was married. Though it was a marriage of convenience, her life would change – had changed – dramatically, and so would his. Hermione didn't go out much. She was too invested in her work to take time off from it and date. She had tried once or twice, responded to advances, but they had only been looking for a good shag, and that's all they had been. Ron had been the only person she had a long term relationship with. They had dated through and past the end of the war, but Ron was too different from her, and eventually, their differences drove him into the arms of a woman who was extremely not Hermione. It had broken him, but not as much as it had broken her. He had owned up to his actions, and for that, she was grateful. She didn't know what she would do if she had found out later, in some other way.

_Hermione lay on her couch, eyes red blotchy from crying. She knew it was going to happen. He was going to walk through that door any minute now and everything was going to end. All the years she gave this relationship, all the times she tried to make it work; it would all be for nothing. She lost. And some bint won. Some tall, beautiful, doe-eyed bint won. What had she done wrong? What had she done to deserve being cheated on? She wasn't stupid. A relationship only works if both sides want it to. If Ron had just come to her, just told her about his misgivings, they could have ended this mutually. They could have ended it decently. Hermione didn't even bother lifting her head from where it hung off the arm rest of the couch when the door opened and heavy footsteps trudged in. Ron walked around the couch and knelt down in front of her. He didn't know what to say or do that wouldn't hurt her more than he already had. _

"'_Mione… I – "_

"_Save it, Ronald. I'm past caring," she kept up her façade of indifference, even though everything about her said otherwise._

_He winced at her tone, but pushed anyway, "I'm sorry, just please hear me out. I know what I did was wrong. I know that but – "_

_She sat up, interrupting him again, "But what? But I'm apologizing? But I'm a man? But these things happen? But this was _bound_ to happen? What kind of piece of shit excuse are you going to give me for cheating on me?" Her anger was flaring out of her control, and she wanted to get up and run, if not to get away from her lying, cheating, boyfriend, then at least to control a temper that many had learned to be rightfully afraid of. _

"_I was drunk, and she threw herself at me! I didn't know what I was doing!"_

_In a split second, Hermione's hand made contact with Ron's face. The adrenaline that pumped through her, fueled by her anger, made the slap stronger than she initially intended, and for a moment she felt guilty, but when he turned his face back to her, his hand on his sore cheek, all her rage came racing back._

"_Don't look at me like that. I have no idea what I'm doing," she pointed at the bottle on the table, "I'm drunk."_

_Ron stood up in a fit, "I'm leaving. I'll be back tomorrow to take my things," and with that, he marched out the door, the same way he had come._

_Hermione took another shot of Fireball, and it sizzled as it flowed down her throat. She thanked the gods for her stock of muggle alcohols and stood up, stumbling a little. Grabbing the bottle by the neck, she walked into her fireplace, and out of the one in the library at headquarters. Brushing the dust off herself and her bottle, she oriented herself. The only person in the room was Remus, sitting at a desk, who had now left his papers and was looking at her._

_She smiled at him, glassy eyes avoiding eye contact, "Excuse me, uhm – Remus."_

_Walking past his desk a little too fast for her body to handle, she lost her balance at the door, but held the door frame, steadying herself, and walking on up the stairs. Every step was a battle against gravity to keep herself upright, and when she finally reached the intended door, she smacked her fist against it as hard as she could. And again, and again._

"_Hold on! Hold o – " Harry opened the door and looked at his disheveled best friend, standing at his door in the middle of the night, with a bottle of whisky in her hand, "h-hey!" She surprised him when she fell forward and let him hold her dead weight as she sobbed. _

_He helped her plant her feet firmly on the ground, and walked her to his bed, making her sit. Kneeling in front of her, he placed a hand on her knee, silently comforting her, while she continued to sob into her own hands. Finally, she looked at him, sniffling loudly, and wiping her eyes._

"_You know right? He told you, didn't he?"_

"_Yes, he did."_

"_So you know that he was just drunk and she seduced him, and it wasn't his fault, right?"_

"_How can you say that, 'Mione?" Harry stood up, slightly irritated, "It bloody well is his fault! If he can't control himself, he shouldn't have drank so much in the first place."_

_Reaching for his arm, she pulled him down to sit next to her, "Thank you Harry. That's exactly what I told Ron when he gave me that pitiful excuse." _

_She practically spat his name, anger quickly replacing the sorrow that had taken over her mind and body for so long. She had cried a lot, not for him, but for the sense of betrayal she felt coming from one of the only two people in the world she had never expected it from. She trusted other people in her life, but she knew that it was human nature to put your own family before others, and so had it come down to it, the only two people she could trust unconditionally had been Ron and Harry. Or so she thought. A shiver traveled up her spine and made her shake. She was starting to feel cold and she knew why. She was sobering up. Hermione picked the bottle of Fireball up from the floor and put it to her mouth, swallowing a mouthful and cringing visibly. As the liquid traveled down her throat, burning it, she felt the heat spread through her chest and into the rest of her body. _

"_Would you like to stay?" Harry knew she would refuse, but he asked anyway. _

"_No… I think I'll head home. I've got some packing up to do."_

"_Stay here with me."_

_Hermione lifted her head off his shoulder and looked at him, eyes full to the brim, "Really?"_

"_You say that like you didn't know I'd ask! Come on 'Mione! You know me better," he smirked at her, and it made her crack the slightest of smiles._

"_So can I owl you once I'm packed and ready?"_

"_Don't bother. Just walk right in like your best friend owns the place. Oh wait-"_

_Hermione giggled and smacked him teasingly on the arm. They both stood up, and she gave him a proper hug; one that was long overdue. _

"_Thank you, Harry; for everything."_

"_You know I love you."_

_She ruffled his hair, "Love you too," and with that, she walked out of the room, and back into the hallway. _

_While walking up, she had been petrified because the bannister seemed far too low for comfort, but now that she wasn't as intoxicated, the world around her became painfully normal. And so she stood there for a moment, taking a few large swigs of her drink, before she headed down the stairs, and into the library where she came from. The door was open, so she staggered in without a second thought, pausing mid-step when she saw Remus there, sitting on an armchair in front of the fireplace, reading. By the time she contemplated creeping out, he had already spotted her, and was looking at her from above his book. Since she had already disturbed him, she decided to sit on the chaise lounge opposite him. Or at least she intended to, but her body had a mind of its own when it had this much alcohol inside it, and so she ended up spreading out lazily on the lounge instead. There was a nice fire burning and the warmth was a welcoming change from the rest of the house. For the longest time, the two sat in silence, Remus reading his book, while Hermione lazed about, occasionally taking large gulps of her drink. _

_She stared at him, taking in his presence. He had left his hair longer than usual, and it hung past his ears, almost touching his shoulders. He hadn't shaved in a few days either, and his facial hair seemed to grow quite well and fast. She liked facial hair. In her eyes, it gave men a more rugged, yet dignified look. _

You know who never had a beard? Ron!  
>This is good. Let's come up with a list of why Ron was a total prick.<p>

_She chuckled at her own thoughts, wondering what possessed her to think of something so immature. But then a woman in her situation was allowed at least one or two immature acts._

"_Something about my face amuse you Hermione?" His voice snapped her out of her thoughts._

"_Oh! Uh- I was just lost in thought. Sorry."_

"_Is it a thought worth sharing?"_

_She drank some more, "Welllll, I was just thinking I'd make a list of aaaall the reasons why Ronald was a right git and I am better off without him, and my first point on the list was his lack of facial hair! Isn't that silly of me? I mean, people in my situation usually just sit around crying and eating junk food while I'm thinking about how Ron never grew a beard. It's actually really- aaaand… you probably don't want to hear me ramble. It's the booze, I promise. I'll just shut up now."_

_Remus smiled at her, "You can tell me anything, you know. I'm always here to give a friend an ear or a helping hand."_

_Hermione nodded, feeling a little less embarrassed, "What book are you reading?"_

"_It is called Bisou by Anastacia Burgin."_

"_You know bisou is French for kiss," she barely whispered, but he caught it._

"_Yes. It is about a man who is kissed by the angel of death, but he bargains for 5 more years in our world."_

"_Really? It sounds so interesting!"_

"_You can take it after I'm done, if you'd want it."_

"_I'd like that," she thought for a moment, "To be honest I could do with some music to match my mood right about now."_

_He replied without looking up, "I already checked, and there isn't any radio in here."_

"_Remus, stop being such a geezer," she patted the plush foot stool in front of her as she began pulling something out of her pocket._

_He put his book aside and came to sit closer to her, looking down at her expectantly. She fumbled with a small device in her hands, untangling its wires. There were two, and she passed one to him, motioning him to put it in his ear. She looked at a small screen on the device and began running her finger along it in patterns. Finally, she tapped it, and Remus heard sounds coming out of the ear piece he had on. He looked at her in surprise, and she giggled at how easy it was to impress magical folk sometimes with the most common muggle inventions. _

She put him out like the burnin' end of a midnight cigarette

She broke his heart he spent his whole life tryin' to forget

We watched him drink his pain away a little at a time

But he never could get drunk enough to get her off his mind

Until the night…

"_It's called an iPod. You can store your music in it digitally, and play it back whenever you like. It runs on a rechargeable battery pack," she explained, before closing her eyes and continuing to hum along with the song._

_He took in the information, at awe with the small contraption, and he closed his eyes too, listening to the music pour right into his ear. _

She put that bottle to her head and pulled the trigger  
>And finally drank away his memory<p>

Life is short but this time it was bigger  
>Than the strength she had to get up off her knees<p>

We found her with her face down in the pillow  
>Clinging to his picture for dear life<p>

We laid her next to him beneath the willow  
>While the angels sang a whiskey lullaby<p>

_When he opened his eyes again, __Hermione had fallen asleep on the chaise lounge, almost empty bottle on the floor. He stood up and conjured a blanket, placing it over her, before he walked out of the library and back up to his room. _

And that is exactly how Remus found her in the early hours of the morning, when his restlessness had won him over and he had ventured out to fix himself some breakfast. He conjured a blanket and spread it over her, tucking a soft pillow under her head, and walked into the kitchen, muffling the area as he began preparing breakfast. He would have to go grocery shopping soon. Maybe that would be a good first public appearance for them, something couples might do together, to give the press a little bit of action, and simultaneously send out the message to the people who had "applied" for her that Hermione Granger was officially taken.

Yes. They might have to go grocery shopping soon.

_**It is 4am here people. Review and make me believe sacrificing sleep was worth it!**_


	5. Amendment II

Disclaimer - *sobs uncontrollably* It doesn't belong to me.

_**I know it's taking a while but I am just swamped! Do tell me what you think!**_

**Amendment II**

Hermione took a second look at the dress that drew her into the store in the first place. It was not as flattering up close as it had seemed from afar, and she hung it back up, irritated. Considering the fact that she would have to buy new things for the apartment, she didn't want to spend too much on clothes. She liked shopping at pricier stores because in her mind, one or two high quality items would last her longer than six or seven mediocre ones. Hermione could afford to spend on the apartment, as well as on herself, but too much spending in a small time frame made her uneasy. It just wasn't something she was used to, and it wasn't the way she had been taught to manage her money, by her parents. Plus, more than anything, the god awful stitching on the dress was putting her off.

She turned around to find Remus standing right behind her, as he had been since they had begun shopping. He had been following her around from store to store like an obedient, love-struck puppy. She smiled at him, and he walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her. A shiver ran through her as his arms rested on the small of her back. She knew he was pretending, but that didn't mean she couldn't like it.

_I have to show people that I enjoy it, so might as give them the real thing! Enjoy it in the name of convincing pretense!_

_Ugh, don't kid yourself Hermione. You just like it because you like him more than you care to admit._

She sighed. It was true. She liked him so much. All she had wanted to do all day was kiss him, even if it was for the sake of the cameras, which had been following them around like parasites. In fact, if he was holding her like this, he had probably seen a reporter lurking around somewhere.

_But do you really want your first kiss with him to be some fake show for the press?_

She rubbed his arm lightly and he tightened his grip on her, "Ready to head out? I don't know if you liked anything in here, but I'd like to let you know that I really didn't."

"Neither did I, to be honest. I didn't really expect to."

"Then why did you come in here?" He quirked his eyebrow at her.

"I wanted to buy some things for the place, so I was trying to sort my priorities. I don't _need_ clothes."

Remus frowned, and she knew what he was going to say before he said it, "If you think for one instant, I am letting you pay for anything, then you are quite mistaken, love."

"But –"

"No buts. If not for the fact that you're my little pretend wife and I have to be your pretend husband, then at least for the fact that we are surrounded by reporters, and I will not have them think that you're wearing the pants here."

Her jaw dropped, but she saw the glint of playfulness in his eyes, and she hit his arm teasingly, "Well I think we both know that I do wear the pants, but for the sake of your delicate pride, I'll give in this once."

He grinned at her, and she stopped him, "That does not mean you pay for everything today. That means you pay for some things, and others we split."

"No."

"But –"

"Didn't I say no buts?"

She stepped back and put her hands on her shoulders in a huff, "You know for the silent type, you do argue a lot."

Remus laughed, knowing he'd won this time, and offered her his arm, leading her out of the store and into the street. She could see the men and women here and there, trying to remain out of their sight, not too close, not too far. Some were discreet, while others took pictures of them boldly. Hermione had been around the press a lot more than Remus had, so it wasn't as difficult for her as it was awkward for him. She could feel him tense up every time he spotted a reporter. She pulled him into another store, and gave him an apologetic smile. He was dealing with a lot of things they hadn't anticipated, as a result of the marriage. They had gone through with it, but hadn't thought about things that came along with it, like selling their relationship to the ministry for starters. He walked around her and sat down on the couch, while she browsed the racks of blouses. Hermione liked this store. It was a muggle brand called Ted Baker which she frequented more since she started earning better. The designs, the colors, the cuts, everything was always on point. Picking out a few pieces, she excused herself to the fitting room to try everything on.

"What do you think?" She walked out, wearing a simple fitted maroon dress with long sleeves and a jeweled collar that fell just above her knees.

Remus looked up from his book and smiled, "It looks wonderful on you, as anything would."

She blushed and scurried back into the fitting room to change into her own clothes. When she walked out, she was holding only a blouse and the dress out of the five items she had picked out. After making the purchase, they decided to head to muggle London for the remainder of Hermione's shopping list.

"What is this contraption?"

"It's a television. I'm surprised you don't know about it. It's very popular. It's almost a necessity in every household these days," she replied, inspecting the selection of TVs for the one she wanted, "I don't want something too big, but a fair amount, and definitely something I can connect my laptop to."

"That thing you keep clicking away on sometimes? You can connect it to these things?"

"Yes I can. There is a cable you are supposed to use; it's new. It's called high definition media interface. You can use it to link two devices together. I'll show you sometime!"

Remus looked at the blank screen in confusion, "So what do you do with this television?"

"Here, I'll show you," Hermione pulled him to stand next to her, and grabbed the remote, "This is a remote control. It controls the television. You can turn it on, and you can watch things on it."

As soon as the TV turned on, Remus' expression changed from confused to fascinated. He could see people talking on the screen, like a photograph, but without the looping moment. It was as if he was watching someone's life playing in front of his eyes.

"What am I watching, Hermione?"

"This is a movie, like a book but instead of reading it, you're watching it played out by actors. It's a new one. It's called The Notebook. The story is of a working class man and an upper class girl who fall in love with each other, but can't be together."

"This is amazing. What else can we watch on this television?"

The amazement on his face made Hermione grin, "I'll explain the whole thing to you when we get back to the apartment. For now, let's pick one out and get it delivered."

She laughed when he made a noise of protest at her turning the TV off. They decided to go with the one they had been testing out, and ordered it, as well as some appliances from the kitchen department which Remus referred to as "funky junk", before heading out. He was appalled at the number of contraptions that existed to help with various tasks, from cooking, to cleaning, to entertainment. A few of these things had trickled into the wizarding world, like refrigerators and radios, but the rest was foreign to him. He had listened to her attentively as she explained each device she was purchasing, and the job that it was meant for. A lot of these things could be accomplished by magic, but her retort to him pointing that out had always been "there's just something about doing it the muggle way… you won't understand until you try it."

After finishing off the groceries, the couple head back to the flat, exhausted by a full day of shopping. But the work wasn't going to finish with them returning. They were both very particular about leave a mess lying about, and neither had complained about having to organize all the groceries and appliances, and getting rid of all the garbage, before getting a chance to sit down.

Hermione sighed loudly, "Who knew shopping could be so tiring?" She laid her head back and turned to look at Remus, who simple nodded as he massaged his foot, "Sorry about dragging you all over the place today."

"It's okay. I enjoyed myself."

"You look exhausted though."

"It's nearing the full moon. I get more drained than usual around this time. The moon really pulls at me a lot. It's physically exhausting so I tend to get a bit sore if I exert myself."

"Oh… the feet?" Remus nodded in response, which prompted her to get up and run to her room, "I'll be right back!"

She was already gone before he had a chance to ask her where she was going, and when she returned, she had a big tub of water in her hand, as well as a small bottle she had held between her lips. She leaned in front of him, to put the tub down, and he stared at her, reaching for the bottle. She parted her lips slightly as his fingers grazed them. The bottle fell into his hand and just as swiftly as it had come, the moment had passed. She looked down quickly, placing the tip of her wand in the water and heating it up. Taking the bottle from his hand, she poured the purple salts into the water, and let it dissolve.

"Put your feet in here. The warmth and the salts will help your muscles relax." Standing up again, she grabbed a snack from the kitchen before sitting back down next to him, "Do you think we should invite everyone over sometime soon?"

He turned to her, laying his head back, just as hers was, "It is entirely up to you. You can call them whenever you feel like it. I got an owl from Molly, and I know that they have been asking about you. I haven't had the time to write back yet."

_I just want you all to myself right now. I want to see where this is going. Is it even going anywhere? The touches, the way you hold me, they have to mean something, right?_

_Hermione! You are just confusing pretense for reality! Don't let yourself down this slippery slope…_

"Maybe not just yet. I'll write to them, but maybe I won't have them over just yet."

He placed his hand on hers supportively, and asked, "How about some music from that music player of yours?"

"Gladly," she smiled, and pulled her headphones out, putting one in his ear, and one in her own.

They sat quietly for a while, listening to music, relishing the silence that was welcome after a hectic day out and about. Still holding her hand, still looking at her, Remus felt guilt tugging at him, as well as an urge that had only been growing with every passing hour; the urge to cover the short distance between them and touch his lips to hers; to see how it would feel to give in. He looked away, shutting his eyes, embarrassed at his thoughts. He knew they were wrong, and he hated his lack of control around her. With her he was happy, stubborn, and he let his emotions get the better of him often. He was glad that they had to pretend to be close, since it gave him an excuse to let off some of his tension. He was able to hold her, to feel her so near to him. He didn't know whether it was worth it knowing that she thought it was all for show, but the desire to hold her was greater than the disappointment of her not knowing the truth. He had never been bold and forthright like his friends. Where they would have already flirted their way into her heart and possibly her sheets by now, Remus had held himself back. He could court women, albeit not the way they used to, but he usually chose not to. There weren't many women out there who were okay with the fact that he was a werewolf, but aside from being feared, he felt humiliated when he was degraded to a fetish by some women. These women that approached him, or reciprocated his own advances, purely because they wanted to experience a werewolf; as if he was some kind of exotic beast, to be tried for their own pleasure and amusement; these were the women who kept him away from dating.

_Stop thinking about all that. You told yourself you wouldn't._

_Not about those other women, and definitely not about Hermione!_

It was her voice that pulled him out of his thoughts, "I think we should take time off work, to keep up appearances. Do you think so?"

"That's true. People will be expecting us to, especially after today."

Hermione frowned, "Do you think we'll actually end up in the papers?"

Her question made him grimace. He didn't know what would happen tomorrow. If they did end up in the papers, it would keep her safe in one way, but open another door of dangers, for both of them. He knew there would be some kind of news about them, and that after it became public, they would definitely be expected to take time off as a honeymoon period.

"I think we just might. You are one of the nation's war heroes after all."

And just as expected, they had ended up in the papers. The newspaper sat on a corner of the coffee table, days old now. When Hermione had read it, she didn't know whether she should laugh or be absolutely horrified. Remus had simply read the article silently over her shoulder, while she battled her growing rage, and dismissed it. But she knew it hit him hard. There were few things that ever got to him, and she had long since learned that offhand comments about his lycanthropy was one of them. And this article had been full of them.

_**Beauty and the Beast!  
><strong>__You'd think some dashing up and comer would have nabbed the brains of the Golden Trio sooner, but this just in – the witch has been single, always ready to mingle, until just a few days ago, when she tied the knot with Sanctuary owner, Remus Lupin. With her track record, it was quite the shock to we who knew her from her younger days, when we found out about her recent marriage. Sources say that even before the Muggleborn Marriage Law (MBML) came into effect, a lot of men have been vying for the former Gryffindor princess' hand, which leads us to ask, was this a marriage of convenience?  
>According to eye witnesses, the couple has been spotted out and about in muggle London furniture shopping, and Ms. Granger seemed to be over the moon (no pun intended). We wonder what former beau (or shall we say beaus), Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, have to say about this development. Unfortunately, both were unavailable for a statement. Hermione Granger has come a long way from batting eyes at Quidditch players, and while we live by the motto 'to each their own', some bystanders weren't too happy about the union. Clinging to the old ways, despite recent changes in wizarding law, people wonder what kind of example is set for the coming generation when a woman holding Ms. Granger's celebrity status decides to marry a registered werewolf. Since a young age, she has been actively advocating equal rights amongst magical creatures, which begs the question, was this all a publicity stunt for her NPO's recent undertakings? No doubt, if it was anything as such, we would applaud her for the lengths she goes to for her work, but we'll just have to wait and see.<br>The couple already face the challenge of social stigma due to Mr. Lupin's furry little problem, but what other challenges will they be facing? Or better yet, what challenges will they be posing? Will we be expecting a litter of little half-breed tikes soon? Or will this turn sour?  
>Only time will tell.<br>All we can say for sure is - smartest witch of our time? Maybe not so smart after all._

Hermione grabbed the old paper and burnt it wandlessly. She had contacted Parvati, who now worked as an editor for the Prophet, and had made her hunt down the girl who wrote that article. Parvati didn't work the same department as the columnist, but her department definitely ranked higher than the gossip column, which meant her job also ranked higher than the editor of the gossip column. She was pleased to say that at the end of the day, the old friendships she had maintained had come through for her, and the columnist had written a great little article about Hermione's NPO, and voiced her own strong views about how important equal rights amongst all magical creatures was. She was very satisfied with her mental image of the girl squirming with every word she wrote, but having to do it anyway. She turned around and jumped when she realized Remus was standing right behind her.

"A bit harsh to the harmless paper, don't you think? What's got you riled up?"

"A little bit the paper, a little bit you."

Remus furrowed his brows in confusion, "Me? I don't recall doing a single thing."

"That's exactly it! I know it bothers you Remus! I know what they wrote hurt you. But you just walked away without a fight!"

He smiled at her. Her spirit was one of the things he adored about her. She was always ready to stand up and fight for what she believed in. But Remus had fought too hard for too long. The world had broken him in ways that could never be fixed, and eventually, he let the world push at him, without pushing back anymore. But he couldn't very well tell her that, now could he?

"Hermione… If I do not care about a person, I do not care about their opinions either. What matters to me is that the people closest to me choose to associate with me despite my affliction. I don't need anything else."

"What do you mean associate with you despite your affliction? Being a werewolf is not your personality, just as being a brunette isn't a part of mine. What makes me "choose to associate" with you is the fact that you are well-read, enjoyable company, but more so, kind and giving. You are selfless, and you know how to handle the people around you. That was evident since the first time I met you. I don't associate with you _despite_ some silly thing, I do it because I'm _compelled_ by all these wonderful things."

He stared at her, wide-eyed, stunned silent. She had said so much, so fast, and it had fallen on him like a giant wave of emotions that threatened to drown him. Hermione was a girl known to be forthright, so maybe she didn't understand the weight of her honest words, but all he wanted to do right now was hold her against the wall and snog her senseless. The only other person who had been this openly affectionate with him had been Lily. The memories of their time together made his insides ache, even more than they already did from holding himself back from Hermione.

"You need to stand up for yourself, Remus."

He smiled at her again, and winked, "What's the need when I have you to do it for me?"

"What?"

"I heard you speaking to Parvati you know. You don't realize how loud you get when you're angry."

"I – you – well – I'm not going to stand around constantly fighting your battles! Who do I look like? Your wife?"

Remus laughed at pulled her into a hug, "I _am_ sorry, love. I've just heard too much to really care any more about what people say. Let's just forget this."

"Okay," she mumbled into his chest.

"Now I hope you didn't burn today's paper along with the other one."

Hermione sighed as she left his embrace and walked to the kitchen, with him following her, "No, it's on the island."

Remus sat on one of the chairs and read the paper while Hermione made breakfast. There were no new developments concerning them, and the only thing that was of interest he already knew because of his meetings with Kingsley. He picked up the pile of mail and began sorting through it.

_Junk.  
>Junk.<br>Harry.  
>Molly.<br>Junk.  
>Wedding card.<br>Ministry…_

_What in God's name does the Ministry want with us now?_

He wiped his spectacles with his shirt and ripped open the envelope, pulling out the folded parchment inside it. Hesitating for a moment, he unfolded the letter and began to read it. Hermione plated the omelet she had been preparing, and turned around to see the color drain from his face. Remus looked up, and their eyes met, silently conveying the horror and anger that coursed through him. She walked around the island, stopping next to him, and slowly, he turned the letter towards her, allowing her to read it.

The only sound in the room for a long time was of the plate of breakfast slipping out of Hermione's hand as she read the words printed on the top of the parchment.

_**MBML Amendment II : Proof of Conjugal Relations**_


	6. Morals and Moons

Disclaimer – Still not mine.

_**Special delivery for everyone following and favouriting (is that even a word?) my story! Another update! Don't get used to it, but it's reading week, my parents are gone, and I've got time on my hands. Tell me what you think. Make some guesses. Feed my plot bunnies. They need nourishment.**_

**Morals and Moons**

Only a week had passed since the last Order meeting, when Hermione's fate had been sealed. And now, another meeting had been called concerning precisely the same person, or maybe two people in this case. Hermione hadn't been around so much noise since the day she had gone out shopping with Remus, and only a very small part of her welcomed it. It was not as if she hadn't missed everyone, but her current frame of mind demanded a silence that she could not have just yet. When Harry arrived, he walked straight to her and pulled her into a long hug. Even though it had barely been a few days since they last saw each other, it had felt like weeks had passed. She held onto him with a vice-like grip, afraid that she might lose her balance any moment. When Ron came in, he looked at her with sad eyes, and she returned it knowingly, and that was that. After what happened between them, Hermione had never been able to move past the hurt, and Ron had never been able to let go of his guilt. They were civil, but only rarely affectionate towards each other anymore. Harry sat on one side of her, while Remus occupied the other. McGonagall stood up, clearing her throat, effectively quieting everyone down, and began the meeting.

"Since this is our first meeting after the Muggleborn Marriage Law came into effect, let me update you all on our current standing. A lot of muggleborn witches and wizards have been taken care of depending on what they chose to do. Many have married, while some chose to flee Britain. However, there are still a lot of muggleborns unaccounted for. Some, we are getting to, or will be getting to, soon. Some are headstrong and adamant that they will not be reduced to being puppets of the government. We tried explaining to them that this buys us time to strike at the correct moment, but there is only so much we can try, if they refuse to budge," she sighed and looked at Hermione, "Now, the reason that this meeting was called at such short notice."

Hermione stood up and pulled a piece of paper out of her bag, handing it to her, and allowing her to speak again, "As you all know, an amendment was made to the marriage law that required all applicants to be interviewed while under Veritaserum before a license was issued. Hermione and Remus were able to dodge that hex but the new applicants have not. We have Ginny to thank for coming up with a great solution to that, and are currently temporarily altering the memories of all the applicants so that they believe they are telling the truth, while under the serum. However, yesterday, a new amendment was made to the law, which complicates our situation even more. The letter I will read out is the one Remus received last night at his home."

_**MBML Amendment II : Proof of Conjugal Relations**_

_This notice is hereby sent to inform Mr. [ Remus Lupin ] __and Mrs. [ Hermione Lupin ] of amendments in effect due three days hereinafter the date of receiving said notice. _

_2.1 - All applicants falling under the Muggleborn Marriage Law (ref. to as 'MBML') shall henceforth be required to present proof of conjugal relations (ref. to as proof of incidence) post issuance of a marriage license. _

_ i. Proof of incidence will be logged magically inside government issued wedding bands._

_ ii. Applicants are not required to physically carry bands in any way once they have been bonded to the wearer by their licensing officer. _

_ iii. Any persons found tampering with the charmed wedding bands will face severe incarceration for obstruction of justice._

_2.2 - All applicants shall henceforth be required to engage in conjugal relations a minimum of [ 1 ] time(s) within the space of 7 days (ref. to as 'frequency of incidence'). _

_ i. Frequency of incidence is applicable to persons who are legally bound under muggleborn marital law to each other._

_ ii. Incidence is only logged when conjugal relations occur between the persons bound by ministry approved wedding bands._

_ iii. Frequency of incidence is lifted when one or more persons of a union are displaced geographically due to personal, work-related, or medical causes._

_ iv. Frequency of incidence is lifted when causes disable one or more persons to physically participate in conjugal relations, such as temporary illness, injury, or death._

_ v. If questioned, all applicants must be able to provide proof of cause, in the event of a missed incidence. _

_2.3 - All applicants shall henceforth be required to adhere to the set frequency of incidence or face severe incarceration under the MBML terms and conditions. _

_For further information, contact your licensing officer directly._

_Muggleborn Marriage Bureau  
>Department of Magical Law Enforcement<br>Ministry of Magic_

The room had been stunned silent. There had been gasps of shock and horror throughout the reading, but now, no one had a single thing to say. Remus couldn't bring himself to meet eyes with anyone, so he sat beside his young bride, head bowed, staring at his hands. Harry was clutching Hermione's arm for dear life, angry, ready to fight, but tired of all the fighting. They had won the war years ago, but there was still a lot to fix with the world. There were still a lot of dirty intentions out there. After what seemed like ages, it was Arthur who spoke first.

"Well, I think that since everyone is informed of the amendment, we can send them off to lunch, and let's have a chat with Remus and Hermione shall we?" He looked at McGonagall expectantly, who nodded her approval.

Hermione watched as Mrs. Weasley instructed Ginny and Harry to gather everyone into the dining and set out the food. As everyone stood up to leave, Hermione's eyes met Ron, who was staring at her in indignation. She knew he wouldn't have reacted any different, but she had been foolish enough to expect it. After they broke up, Ron had gone on to date a number of girls, but every time he found out that she had brought a man home, he would glare at her as if she was cheating on him; as if he owned her and she was disregarding him. He hadn't wanted their relationship to end, but then, he hadn't really tried to fix it either.

_But even if he did try, you know you'd never be able to look past the betrayal. _

_It's for the best that he didn't prolong it._

The attachment was still there. He still felt for her. But she only felt for him in a different way now. She would defend him against the world, but when only the two of them were concerned, she would never be able to bring herself to forgive him. She hated that about herself. She hated holding the resentment inside her. But every time she thought about what had happened, the same feelings of rage boiled up inside her.

As the room emptied, the only people left were the older members of the order. Kingsley sat across from Remus, while Molly and Arthur sat at the opposite end of the table. Tonks sat at the far end as well, between Molly and Severus. Silence filled the room once more as the door closed behind Ron on his way out.

"So what is the plan?"

McGonagall thought for a moment, trying to find the right words so as not to rile the witch up, "Molly, we obviously don't want to bow to the Ministry's demands but I don't see any other suitable alternative here."

"So what you're saying is we just _let_ Hermione go to bed with any odd man because some blasted dirty ministry official said so? Not on my watch!"

"We could always try to tweak the wedding bands a bit, but if I were to have a hunch, they've placed charms that detect _any and all_ kinds of magic used on them. We'd be found before we even began to understand what kind of magic the rings hold," Snape knew that if darker forces were behind this, and he was entirely sure they were, there would be no way around the amendment, "It may not be what you want to hear, but there isn't a way around this one."

"You may be okay with giving up and letting the child's life go to waste but I will not stand by and watch it happen. We'll take her into hiding! Whatever it takes to stop this!"

"She's right you know. There are other alternatives than this. She's got her whole life ahead of her. We can't let it be twisted by the ministry this way. We can't really just – "

Arthur stood up now, against his wife and his friend, "Kingsley, do you know what you're suggesting? You're suggesting sending her away without anyone to look out for her. You know better than anyone that they are actively trying to get Hermione. Do you think that just by sending her away somewhere, we'll be ensuring her safety? Do you think they won't follow her? And what if they find her? They find her, miles away from here, miles away from any form of help – "

"So we can send someone, or find someone – "

"Really now dear, it's bad enough we suggest that Hermione toss her life out the window and relocate, that now you're suggesting we ask another Order member do the same thing? What good is this going to bring –"

"STOP. JUST STOP IT!" Hermione stood up, pushing her chair to fall back, "You are all talking about me as if I am not even in the room! Do you think I wanted to be bound by a loveless marriage for the sake of my life, coerced by the ministry? I will not run and hide. That is not me. I have always fought and I will continue to fight. But shame on all of you! Just because I am younger, doesn't mean Remus doesn't have a life, or some bloody morals for that matter. He has taken care of me better than anyone could have in this situation. And he did it because the Order decided it. The least you could do is pretend to care what he might think about being forced into sleeping with his friend. You're all literally telling me that my only two options are that I either leave magic behind, and run away, or that I rape my unwilling husband so that I can stay here safely. Nobody is asking him what he is going through. No one is worried that he is throwing _his_ life away. In fact, you're calling him names and telling me I'm ruining my life! I'm dealing with a lot but you've lumped him into it with me, and now you're treating him like he's the culprit!"

Molly looked away in embarrassment, "I – I'm sorry. I'm sorry Remus. I shouldn't have said what I did."

"It's alright Molly. I understand what you must be feeling right now. It's fine." He placed his hand over Hermione's when she pulled her chair upright again and sat down. He knew this was harder on her than it was on him, but she had still spoken out for him. He had wanted so badly to hold her, to feel her, for so long, but now that he had the chance, he felt disgusted. This is not how we had wanted it to happen; a reluctant young bride being forced into his bed. This is not how he imagined their relationship progressing.

"Hermione, you know that by staying, you have to adhere to the rules set out by the amendment…"

"I – I know Professor. But it's not my decision anymore. It's up to Remus to decide whether I can stay, or I run."

_It's up to me?_

_Throw you out into the world unprotected and without magic to be chased by maniacs for the rest of your life, or fuck you once every two weeks so that you can live here with us. _

_You lose either way Remus. At least let the girl keep her life, if she wants it._

"Hermione, it isn't up to me. It's up to you. I stepped up to the plate. I agreed to do whatever it takes to keep you alive and well. So if you are comfortable with it, and if you think you'll be better off here than on the run, I will follow your wish."

"I think we need a moment to ourselves, Professor," Hermione looked to her old teacher, who nodded and cleared the room for them.

She didn't know what was going to happen. She knew that Remus would do whatever it takes to keep her here, if she asked it of him. But she didn't want him to feel that he was obligated to. Leaving Britain was out of the question for her, because she knew that she'd go crazy not knowing what was going on here, and not being able to fight alongside everyone.

"Remus… I kno – I know you said you are willing to do whatever it is I ask, but I never want you to feel obligated. Before we left for the ministry that day, we fought, and your justification was that you're old. I want you to get that out of your head this moment. That is not how I see you. And we can't be having this conversation while you still think that way."

"But it's true – "

Hermione held her hand up, "And inconsequential. It does not matter. Not one bit. I want you to ask yourself, are you ready to do this?"

He didn't reply at first. He was slightly shocked that she was seriously considering just going along with the amendment without going absolutely ballistic or at least taking time to think. But then, she never did waste time ruminating over things when she knew the conclusion would be the same regardless. She didn't brood much either, and that made her an exceptionally fast thinker.

"I am, if you are."

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding, and leaned closer, resting her forehead on his shoulder. Sitting next to each other in silence, they gave each other the comfort of simple physical touch, as he put his arms around her shoulders, one hand stroking her hair softly. It wasn't until he felt her body shake slightly, that he realized she was weeping.

"Hey now, what's this about?"

She couldn't bring herself to move, mumbling into his shirt, "I'm just glad I don't have to leave. I'm glad you're here, and you agreed. I don't have to give my life up."

"Hermione… look at me," when she refused to budge, he moved back, putting his hand under her chin and turning her head up, "You aren't alone. You never will be. I know this road will have its obstacles, but we'll get over them. Okay?"

She nodded, and he ran his thumb along her cheeks, wiping her tears. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, making her shudder ever so slightly. Hermione sighed as he moved away again, and stood up to lead her out of the room.

_He's never laid his lips on you before. Not since that first night he found you battling your nightmares. He's never been that close to you since that night. But now I guess you will have to get used to it._

_Won't be too tough, Hermione. You've been wanting to get into his pants for months now._

_Not this way though. Not this way._

Dinner was a quiet affair, as anger, sorrow, and awkwardness hung thick in the air. Hermione found it hard to meet eyes with anyone. More than anything, she was embarrassed that everyone not only knew that she would have to sleep with Remus for as long as she chose to remain here, but also that she'd be at it once every two weeks like clockwork. She hated having her personal life broadcasted to everyone, but more than that she hated the feeling of helplessness as there was nothing she could do to stop it. Once the plates were cleared away, most of the members retired to their homes, leaving Harry and Hermione walking to the fireplace, while Remus spoke to Arthur before heading home.

"You know I'm behind you on this right?"

"I know Harry. I don't want to leave here anymore than you don't want me to. It's just going to take some getting used to."

"Remus is a good man. He'll never let you down. It's not in his nature."

"I've seen that a lot more than usual over the past week. Like I said, it'll just take some getting used to."

He smiled cheekily, "Well look at the silver lining. At least you didn't get married to Snape."

Hermione whacked him on his arm, the horror more than evident on her face, but laughed along with him.

"What are we laughing about?" Remus walked into the library, meeting them at fireplace.

"That is for us to know, and for you to never find out."

He placed an arm on his heart mockingly, "Keeping secrets from your husband now? You wound me, Hermione, truly," Coming up beside her, he offered her some floo powder, "Shall we go?"

She took the powder, and Harry came up next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Take care of her, mate."

Remus nodded, and waited for Hermione to leave, following her into the fireplace, and back to their apartment.

A few days had passed without either of them speaking a word about what was to come in the next week. Hermione could see the change in Remus, the physical toll that the moon was taking on him. She wanted to be a part of it, to help him as much as she could, but she didn't know how he would react to his interference. He was a very private person, but his lycanthropy was one thing they never spoke of in the past year that they had gotten to know each other better. She knew it was useless to ponder on this, so instead she focused her attention on what she would be doing for Halloween. It was the 27th of October, which meant Halloween was only four days away, on the Sunday.

_Sunday… There are going to be a ridiculous amount of trick-or-treaters this year. I'm going to have to buy extra candy._

Hermione was glad that the tradition of trick-or-treating had spread to the wizarding world. Growing up, Halloween had always been a bittersweet time. Massive feasts were held in the Great Hall and that was something every student looked forward to. But for the three friends, Halloween had brought troll attacks, and being forced into the Triwizard Tournament. More than that, they had never really celebrated it as anything special, because it was also the anniversary of Harry's parents' death. But the years had eased the pain of loss, and Harry had found a new family. Slowly, after the second war ended, Halloween once again became a time of festivities for the trio. She missed the muggle traditions of wearing silly outfits, throwing parties, and giving out chocolates to children who had come to her doorstep, dressed up in their costumes. Halloween didn't bring the same crowd here as it did in muggle London, but something was better than nothing.

_I wonder what I should go as… _

_Little Red? _

_Hah! That's not going to make me look desperate in front of Remus at all. _

From the talk she had heard, Ginny would probably be forcing Harry into throwing at party at the headquarters, and to be honest, with the way things had been going for the past week or two, everyone needed a change of atmosphere. A party might not be the worst of ideas. She would have to write to Ginny about that soon. For the past five years, the two girls had a ritual of getting together, knocking back a few pre-drinks, getting dressed up in costumes, and having a girls night out partying. One of the years, Harry and Ron had accompanied them, but Harry wasn't too keen on dancing, and Ron threatened to hex any male who dared even glance at Hermione, let alone speak to her. She understood overprotective, but Ron was just ridiculous, and mostly fueled by self-doubt. They had gone home and had a huge row that night. Ron had not accompanied them since, and out of consideration that Hermione wasn't left out, Ginny had refused to bring Harry along too.

Hermione opened up her calendar and marked some dates on it. The day she got married, the day they had decided to fulfill the amendment, and Halloween. She would have to go shopping soon for supplies and an outfit.

_I should mark the full moon too._

She pulled her laptop out of her bag and placed it on her desk, turning it on. Opening up the internet, she looked up the date and time of the full moon.

_28__th__ October, around 3am… That's tomorrow!_

Hermione drew a green circle around the 28th on her calendar. The only indication of the full moon approaching that she had gotten from Remus had been his weakening state. He got tired quickly, and looked as if he hadn't slept well in days. Not once at she seen him take his potion, and it was shocking, the extent to which a man could be ashamed of something that was a part of him. She wondered why Remus hadn't spoken to her yet about the transformation, and she knew the conversation would happen sooner or later. He hadn't mentioned whether there was any chamber he had here for the transformation, but she assumed it was since he would prefer to be inside his own home rather than somewhere else, where if something went wrong, there was the chance of him potentially hurting someone.

_I wonder if he will send me away for the night._

What would she do if he did ask her to leave? Would she go quietly? Probably not. Not if she thought there wasn't the need for it. And knowing Remus, he took enough precautions as it is. Wolfsbane aside, his transformation chamber was probably heavily reinforced. No, she probably wouldn't be going anywhere if he did try to send her away. He had taken care of her through thick and thin, and like it or not, she wasn't going to back away from this.

Hermione snapped out of her thoughts, and shook her head lightly, trying to clear it. Arching her back and stretching, she stifled a yawn. It was only noon, but she hadn't been able to sleep well, and had been up since 4am. She went to close the internet, before turning her laptop off, when something caught her eye. She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her, and she stood up quickly, running out of her room.

"Remus! REMUS!," she looked around in a frenzy, "Where in God's name are you?"

He rushed out of the bathroom when he heard her voice screaming for him, "What happened? Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"Yes! I mean no – not to me! But tomorrow…"

Remus sighed in relief. When he had heard her shouts, he was afraid something had happened to her, "Don't scare me like that! I thought something happened to you. And I know, tomorrow is the full moon. I was going to speak to you about the arrangements."

"No, no, that's not what I wanted to tell you!"

He quirked his eyebrow questioningly, "Tomorrow; it isn't just an ordinary full moon," Hermione registered the change in his expression and she knew he understood exactly what she was trying to say.

"But, how could you possibly know that?"

"In the muggle world, we have a field of study called selenology, or lunar science. They research everything there is to know about the moon, and chart its cycle pretty accurately too. Once the information is out there, it isn't difficult to find."

"How can you be so sure, Hermione?"

"Remus… This is based on careful scientific calculation. I'm positive."

He took a deep breath to ease the urge to pace around, and walked to the cubby hole by the window. Pulling out a piece of paper, and a quill, he began to write a letter.

"Who are you writing to?" Hermione came up behind him, peeking over his shoulder.

"Severus. If what you say is correct, I need to take a different potion tomorrow night. It's a variation of Wolfsbane that he invented a few years ago. It's specially designed for such cases, but the only problem is that it is extremely difficult to make, even more so than Wolfsbane, and we can never be sure when I would need it," he sent the letter off and turned around to face her.

"Well I'm sure Remus. Tomorrow night is the night of the blood moon."


	7. Divided

Disclaimer – Mine is not a word I'd use to describe Harry Potter.

_**I tried to put the images in my head down on paper as best as I could, and I hope this plays out in your head as intensely as it has in mine.**_

**Divided**

"Thank you very much, Severus."

Hermione heard the muffled voices of Remus walking Snape out, as he thanked him again for the potion. She really didn't want to face anyone who knew exactly what was going to happen between the couple within the next few days, so she stayed holed up in her room until he had left. Stepping outside tentatively, she looked around, and walked to the kitchen to prepare some lunch. Remus sat at the island, looking worse for wear. A vial was placed in front of him, with swirly purple liquid filling it to the brim. From what she had heard about Wolfshade, it was much worse than Wolfsbane in terms of taste, but it was much stronger too.

"I was wondering when you'd come out of your room," he smiled warily, anxious for the full moon to pass.

"Oh, I didn't think – I mean you were busy with Snape so I just hung about and checked in with work."

"Hermione…" she turned to face him when he called her, "Come sit by me for a bit."

She put her knife down on the chopping board, and took the seat next to him, waiting for him to continue.

"Tonight isn't going to be any ordinary night. You know that better than anyone. I've been through blood moons before so I've reinforced my chambers enough so it can hold me, but I still don't want to risk you being up here. I'd much rather prefer it if you spent the night at Harry's."

"I think I'd prefer to stay here."

"It's not safe Hermione. I don't want to end up hurting you, or worse. Please understand."

"Remus, you said so yourself. You've reinforced your chambers, and you've also got the Wolfshade. Nothing is going to happen. Worst comes to worst, I will floo out the moment I hear anything suspicious. But I'm going to stay here."

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. Sometimes, she was just the most impossible witch he had ever come across. Logically, he knew things wouldn't turn sour, and Hermione would be fine. He also knew that should things go wrong, Hermione would be have ample time to escape before he made it up to her. But his heart was telling him that it was too dangerous; that even if the chance was small, there was still a chance that she could get hurt, and he would never be able to forgive himself for hurting her.

"There's no point in arguing this further is there?"

She grinned in triumph, "Not really! Now let me make lunch and stop bothering me with your silly ideas."

Remus cast a spell on his bookcase and it slid aside to reveal a staircase spiraling down. They followed it down, and opened the door at the foot, leading to a large, dimly lit chamber. It was not at all how Hermione had imagined it to be. There was a red, Japanese futon against one wall, with numerous pillows and a large quilt. There was a closet near it with fresh clothes, and a small pantry on the opposite end of the room that was probably filled with meat products. The only thing that gave Hermione any indication of what this chamber was used for was the metal rings she could see welded to the ground around the futon, and to those rings were connected long chains with shackles on its ends. The door was made of military grade metals, as were the shackles. The paint on the walls was magically restored, as was any damage done to the bedding, but Hermione could see the scratches on the walls, digging into the cement like skate blades on ice. She could see the faint outlines of each frustrated scrape, and each defeated punch, against the surface of the walls. Just the image of him down here by himself, suffering alone, made her shake.

"This is where I am going to be. I will lock myself up, and I will be fine down here until tomorrow morning," she simply nodded quietly, unable to stop looking at her surroundings and imagining all the transformations that Remus had to go through, "Now, one thing I need from you. Under no circumstances must you come down here. Blood moons are unpredictable. So you can go wherever you like in or out of the apartment, but not down here, is that clear?"

She nodded again, and closed the space between them, wrapping her arms around his waist. He hugged her back, knowing full well that she needed this less for him, and more to ease her own worry.

"I'll be fine, Hermione. I've got a lifetime's worth of practice. Come on now, get on upstairs."

She dropped her arms to her side, and stepped away from him, walking to the door that led back up to his room. With one final look back at him, she closed the door behind her, and head back up to the apartment to wait out the night; and it was going to be long one, for sure.

With his clothes off and folded, he stacked them inside the closet, and sprawled out on the futon. He had never gone into a transformation knowing that the blood moon was approaching, and the knowledge of what was to come didn't prepare him as well as he had thought. Fear and restlessness were present in every bead of sweat that formed on his skin. He shackled himself in, ready for the moon to take him. Every second he laid there, the physical pull got stronger and stronger. He could feel his wolf senses sky rocketing. Every noise, every smell, every breath was sharp and sound in his mind. He could see the dust settling on the surface of the wooden closet; smell the scent of fresh meat in the pantry. Remus spread his arms and legs out, using his usual technique to calm his muscles before the transformation began. Closing his eyes, he started from his toes. He wriggled them, and turned his feet in circular motions, then focused on his calves and thighs. He directed his energy to each part of his body individually, in turns, all the way to the roots of the hair on his head, loosening his muscles and letting go of the tension in his body, falling into a state of deep relaxation. He stayed that way for a few moments, unmoving, taking deep, regulated breaths from his belly and chest. If it wasn't for the pain that grew steadily in his bones, he would have fallen asleep already.

Remus opened his eyes and looked out the small window that was high up on the opposite wall. It was tilted so that he could look outside, and charmed to appear wherever the moon shone that night. Dull red light slowly began seeping into the room as the pregnant moon appeared in full sight; red, just like she had said. Just as suddenly as it appeared, Remus felt his body begin to convulse. He felt his skin rip open as tufts of fur began to cover his body. His bones stretched and bent at their own free will and he cried out in pain, twisting into inhuman shapes. His head fell back as his spine arched upwards, and his toes curled in agony. Feeling the wolf grow from inside of him, he felt himself break out of his own skin, and turn into the animal he usually hid somewhere deep and dark. The sound of a crunch sent a shiver up his back as his jaw broke and rebuilt itself into a shape inhumanly. His teeth pushed down at his jaws and shot outward like sharp daggers, ripping his own lips, before they morphed into the curled snout of a werewolf. Remus let out another scream as his body continued to push itself beyond the norms of his transformations. With each red ray of light hitting his worn out body, his bones stretched further, making him taller, broader, and more bloodthirsty. His own blood pumped through his body faster than it ever had, every vessel and nerve growing in impossibly excruciating ways. He snarled, tasting the metallic remnants of his blood on his snout, and waited for his body to regulate itself.

After what seemed like hours, the gross pain of his bones breaking inside him ebbed away, and his skin mended itself. He howled as loud as he could and gave in to the power of the blood moon. He knew what was coming next, but no matter how much he braced himself for it, it didn't help him much. The force of a thousand anvils dropping right on his head hit him like an out of control freight train, and he didn't even try to stifle the howl of agony that escaped him. Over and over again, he lurched and howled in place, as his brain tore itself into two spirits. Tears fell down the sides of his face as he lay on his back, covered in sweat and blood. Bloodshot eyes stared at the red moon, wondering once more, why this had to be. Why this lifelong curse? Why the unbearable pain, the fear, month after month? Another hard pull at his head, his body hovered over the futon, before crashing down into the soft bedding unceremoniously. He let out ragged breaths, trying to come back down from the ride, and stretched his legs and arms out once more, trying to relax his overworked muscles.

_Meat._

He didn't move. He couldn't; not yet at least. Remus focused on his breathing, inhaling deeply, helping the pain ease out of his tortured bones. He closed his eyes, and tried to forget the presence of the blood light, which only stirred the beast more.

_Now._

Not now. Not yet. He stretched his limbs, and twisted his hips and shoulders from side to side, trying to work out the knots in his body.

_MEAT!_

His body turned and pulled at the chains, moving towards the pantry, one throbbing step at a time. He couldn't get himself to stand up and move, but the beast could. And the beast did. The blood moon was here, and the wolf was awake, and alive.

As he sat, curled up on the floor, his teeth tearing away at the slabs of meat, his mind wandered to what Hermione might be doing right now. He missed her company, and more than that, he missed the feeling of having her wrapped in his arms. He let the beast take control and devour the food, as he sat back thought about the days to come. Remus would have to speak to Hermione about where and when they would go about it. For now, they had decided on the day before Halloween, two nights from now, but he wasn't sure if that date would stick. Once they went through with this, their relationship would change forever, and the possibility of everything turning sour made him cringe inwardly. Finishing up the meal, the beast guided his body back to the futon and patted it down, settling into the center. For now, the wolf was sated.

The sound of a lock clicking open made his ears perk up instantly. He sniffed around, recognizing the smell before she entered the chamber.

_No!_

Remus forced his body back against the wall, and shook his head in fear and denial. He stood, trapped in his own body, watching from the inside through bloodshot wolfish eyes, as Hermione turned into the room and faced him. He felt his blood start to pump faster, and his body pushed against his will, trying to break away from him.

_Why are you here?! Why did you come down here? I told you not to come down here!_

"I – I thought your transformation would be over by now. I came to check on you. I didn – "

He lost the war his body waged against him, and the beast pulled his limbs away from the wall, lunging onto Hermione's small frame, pushing her onto the ground. His face merely inches away from hers, his breathing became heavy, and his pupils dilated.

_This one is mine!_

_No! Leave her out of this!_

_I _will_ take this woman. She _will_ belong to me. _

The beast narrowed his eyes and lowered his head, running his tongue along her neck slowly. Hermione stifled a scream, trying to pretend to be calm. He moved his snout near her ear and sniffed her, taking in her scent.

_I will definitely have her._

Remus pushed at his own mind, trying to take control of his limbs. His head twisted and turned in anguish as he fell back, off Hermione, and dragged himself away from her. He lifted himself onto his knees and the beast growled in a fit of rage, pushing back at him, bringing his body to the ground once more with a loud thud. His head hit the floor with a force that ripped a tear into his skin, bleeding profusely.

"R-Remus… Are you – okay? I – what's happening?"

The wolf got up on all fours, circling Hermione slowly, taking her in. Her scent invaded his nostrils stronger than ever before and he felt it thick in the air around him, as if he could dissect it into facets with his claws; chocolate, pumpkins, and something uniquely her. As he rounded up to face her again, he moved closer and stood up on his hind legs.

_Stop! Don't you dare do anything to hurt her!_

Grinning, the beast stepped forward and brought his snout down to the crook of her neck. He sniffed her again, and his nose brushed her skin lightly, then a little harder. Her strength faltered and she flinched, stepping back in fear. They eyes met, and in his, Hermione saw the determination to conquer, to control. She saw the reaction to her defiance, and instantly regretted the hesitation she showed. He snarled and threw his weight at her again, making her fall back and hit her head on the ground. He lifted his snout to the top of her head and inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of her blood seeping out slowly.

"Remus… please…" she whimpered under the weight of his animal form, tears on the verge of escaping.

_Stop this! _

_No. We will have this one. I will take her for us!_

_I don't want this!_

_LIAR! You have wanted her far longer than I. And tonight we both shall take our prize._

The hairs on his back stood as pain ripped through his muscles in his attempt to gain control once more. Remus fought with his own inner demon, trying to force him out of his body. He growled and fell to the side, rolling on the ground, trying to create distance between himself and Hermione. His limbs shook and warped into horrific shapes and directions as he felt the beast tire from fighting the mental battle.

"R-Remus, are you o – "

She reached her hand out to him but his head twisted sickeningly, eyes softening for a split second, before they reverted back to the same wolfish yellow. And in that second, the helplessness in his expression made Hermione stand up and bolt out of the chamber, locking the door behind her.

_She is ours you stupid man. Deny it all you want, fight all you want, but she is ours. _

Remus writhed in pain, his claws pulling at his own chest as the thirst for blood and flesh grew inside him, along with a desire brought on by the beast's attachment to Hermione. His restlessness and frustration at being shackled up grew, and the beast pushed Remus back into a corner, taking control. He tore at his own back in fury, and dropped onto the futon, soaked in blood and tears. The hours dragged on and the moon finally began to set. The change back was much easier, happening almost entirely in his sleep, but the merging of his spirits once more knocked the breath out of his lungs and he shot upright, awake and panting desperately for air.

Exhausted beyond belief, Remus waited for the shackles to unlock themselves, and trudged out of his chambers, into his room, not bothering to put on any clothes. He fell onto his bed, dipping into a deep sleep the moment he made contact with the sheets. The sun dawned and the afternoon passed with the tired wolf still in bed, still sound asleep, short rested breaths the only indication that he was still alive.

The door swung open suddenly and Hermione stumbled in, having had her ear pressed to it only a moment ago. Remus sat on his bed, looking battered, wand in his hand, and a scowl on his face. She walked in cautiously, afraid of what he might say or do. She didn't know what had happened last night. She didn't know why Remus hadn't been himself, despite the potion, but regardless, he had told her that the blood moon could be unpredictable. He had warned her, and she had gone down there anyway. She put down the tray she was carrying when she rounded the bed and came to his side.

"Please… let me."

He hadn't torn his eyes away from her since the moment she walked in. Anger and frustration swirled through him like a whirlpool but what really tormented him were his feelings towards her, which seemed to have amplified tenfold. He tried holding onto his anger, but just the sight of her was making it difficult to do so. Remus had wanted her with his heart and body, but the wolf inside him seemed to have attached himself to her. The pull was stronger than he had ever felt it. He kept up his scowl, watching as she sat down beside him, with pleading eyes.

_How can I deny you? Even when I am enraged, how can I push you away?_

He turned his head away, acquiescing silently, and she moved closer, performing cleaning spells on him. When all the wounds were cleaned, she dipped her fingers into the bowl of paste she had brought in on the tray. Turning his back to her, she lifted a tentative hand up, fingers hovering above his skin nervously.

_Get over yourself Hermione! It's just medicine._

She took a deep breath and began to slowly apply the paste to the gashes on his back. It was a formula she had concocted herself after she had seen the scars on one of her clients arms. The paste had restorative properties that would help magically seal the skin, and reduce scarring. He winced as the heat stung his sensitive skin, and it made her pause. Slowly, carefully, she lathered the medicine onto each cut and scrape on his back, giving him a moment to adjust to the heat, and herself to adjust to their intimacy, before continuing on to the injuries on his front. Hermione took a hold of his shoulders and turned him to face her again. Scooping up more paste, she started on a long slice that slid from his shoulder to his navel. She didn't dare look up at him, and he didn't dare take his eyes off her. On the one hand, he didn't want to speak to her. He wanted her to understand the gravity of her actions, and what could have happened. On the other, he wanted to close the distance between them and ravage her until she shook with pleasure. So he continued to gaze at her, as she continued to apply her medicine on his wounds. He didn't know whether the heat inside him was because of the paste or how close her body was to his, but he didn't really care. Hermione turned her eyes up, and met his, smoldering into her skin like daggers. She ran her finger down the side of his face, tracing a line from his ear to his chin, and watched as the paste worked its magic on his tattered skin. He hissed slightly but even he didn't know whether it was the paste, or her touch, that caused that reaction in him. She ran a finger along the top of his eyebrow, covering a thin cut, and moved her hand down to his neck, doing the same. With the last of his wounds treated, she wiped her hands clean, and gave handed him some pills.

"These will help with the blood loss."

He hadn't said a word since she had come into his room, and just as silently, he took the pills from her hand, washing them down with the glass of water she held out for him. With the paste beginning to absorb into his skin, he covered himself again with sheets, and picked his book off the bedside table. Hermione took that as her cue to leave, gathering up the tray and walking to the door. With one last look back at him, she closed the door behind her and left him alone. Remus tossed the book aside in annoyance, sliding deeper into his sheets and ignoring the arousal of his defiant body.

_She could have gotten herself killed! Or worse! I could have doomed her to a life just like mine…_

_You can't react this way. You can't let her get close to you, and ruin her life.._

Trying to take deep breaths to calm himself, Remus closed his eyes, and began to slip into a sleep filled with dreams of wolves and witches.

Hermione lay on her bed, spread out over the sheets in defeat, "I don't know what to do. He hasn't spoken to me in two days!"

"Well you did do exactly what he told you not to do," Ginny replied, smirking at her love-struck friend.

"Yes but I apologized yesterday too. This is hardly any way to behave! Giving me the bloody silent treatment! The least he could do is – "

"What, 'Mione? Look at it from his point of view. He hates his lycanthropy, more than anything in the world. What do you think he is going through right now, knowing that you could have died, or that he could have turned you into a werewolf as well, which he probably thinks is a fate worse than death? I'm not going to say that not talking at all is the right way to go about it, but I'm not going to question it either, because you did muck it up."

She groaned, irritated at herself, "I know Ginny, but I just don't know to fix it."

"Take my advice, give him space. In the meantime, get off your bum this instant. And get dressed. We have Halloween partying to do," the red haired witch grabbed Hermione's arms and pulled her up to a stand.

"But I don't want to leave him like this. How am I supposed to go out and enjoy when I'm just thinking about how mad he must be at me?"

"Simple, we take him along too!"

Hermione fell back onto her bed and covered her face with the palms of her hands, "Yeah, I wonder how that conversation is going to go – Remus, I know we aren't exactly talking but do you want to come out dancing with us. Of course Hermione, let me get dressed this instant. I hate your guts, but I'll come with you."

"He already said yes you know," Ginny piped nonchalantly, leaning against the dresser.

Hermione's eyes shot open, and she sat up, confused, "What? When?"

"Oh I owled him yesterday. He said he was glad I invited him, since he didn't think it was safe for us to be out alone on a night like this, especially considering your current situation. You know, being hunted by homicidal maniacs and all."

"Ginny! I – I could kiss you!"

"Please don't… Harry is already worried I'm going to leave him for Cassy Travers."

"Why?"

"We bumped into her while we were shopping and I told him about how we dated for a year before she transferred to another school."

Hermione burst out into laugher, "You didn't! I wish I was a fly on the wall for that conversation!"

"Well we only broke up because she moved away and couldn't handle the distance, so he thinks that now that she is back in London, I'm going to dump him. It's ridiculous!"

Hermione giggled, and Ginny smirked at her friend, shaking her head. She could see the affection Hermione held for Remus clearly in her eyes. Whenever she spoke about him, her voice was filled with admiration and rarely had she ever seen her best friend react to a man the way she did to Remus. She knew that his anger was eating away at her, which is exactly why she had invited him out tonight. She hadn't meddled in anyone's love life since Bill and Fleur, and this was a golden opportunity.


	8. Cocktails and Confessions

Disclaimer – Harry Potter is only my life and soul and the most important part of my childhood, adolescence and adult life. Do I own it? No.

_**So classes started again… Hey I warned you not to get used to the super quick updates. I warned you!**_

**Cocktails and Confessions**

"There is no way I am getting into that _thing_!"

"Yes you are!" she stalked towards her decidedly.

"Ginny Weasley, one more step and I'll turn your beautiful red hair to bubblegum pink!"

"I don't know what you're so worked up about. It's not even that bad."

Hermione stared at the girl.

_Not even – it was bloody backless!_

_Or – well – it looked like it at least!_

Ginny handed it to her angrily, and she conceded, taking it from her and stalking off to the bathroom. When she came back out, she looked at herself in the mirror, shocked at her own appearance.

_I look like a damn trollop but I look amazing!_

"Ugh… It's really amazing. It fits perfectly. But I look like a floozy."

"Perfect!"

"No, not perfect!"

"Can you just shut your whiny mouth and let me do your hair and makeup?"

A knock on his door signaled the time to leave. Remus hadn't dressed up in a costume, opting for a pair of faded jeans and a simple black shirt. He rolled up the sleeves, and ran his hands through his hair, pushing it back, only to have the strands fall over his eyes again. He might have to cut his hair soon.

"Come in!"

"Remus! You didn't dress up!" Ginny gasped exaggeratedly when she saw him.

"I did. I'm dressed as a man who is too old to be out at a club on Halloween and frankly never cared for costumes."

"Why are both of you so insufferable?" Remus quirked an eyebrow at her, wondering what grief the girl had with Hermione, "Can you at least put a coat or something on? And we're at the door, so whenever you're ready…"

He shook his head as Ginny left, closing the door behind her. He had only agreed to go because angry or not, he hadn't gained control over the added magnetism he felt towards Hermione, and being away from her only made _him_ suffer. Moreover, with the threat to her safety, he didn't feel comfortable letting her go out alone, even if it was in muggle London. He shrugged on his coat and walked out of the room, all set for a long night out. Turning for the door, he stopped in his tracks at the sight of Hermione. Both the girls had their backs to him, which gave him a moment to shut his hanging mouth, and compose himself. Her hair was tied in a loose Spanish bun, and she was dressed in a short, sheath column dress that fit her like a glove. It was made of sheer nude lace which would have done nothing to cover her had it not been for the hundreds of white jewels that adorned the material like splashes of stars. The sleeves were long, also entirely encrusted with gems, where the back was sparse, giving the dress a backless look. Her slender legs were covered only by knee-length, golden, gladiator heels which made her taller, but he still towered over her despite it. Hermione turned at the sound of his footsteps, and smiled shyly when she saw him, fidgeting with the hem of her dress. She wore her make up subtle and light for the most part, and the only thing that stood out, the thing that caught his attention and attraction more than anything else, was her lips. They had been painted a deep blood red, which made her lips seem more plump and kissable than ever. Around her waist she had a little see-through pouch with a golden apple inside it.

_If the Goddess of Discord looked like you, I would wage wars in her name…_

Ginny eyed Remus, as he stared at Hermione silently, smiling cheekily, "Ready?"

"What about Harry?"

"He'll be meeting us there," she handed them a piece of paper, "This is the address we're apparating to. It's a hidden alley just around the corner from the club."

Hermione tried to read the paper, preparing to apparate, when she felt Remus' hand slip into hers. She looked up at him but he didn't look down at her, nor did he say a word, and thinking of the address in his head, he side-along apparated with her, grabbing her waist as they arrived to make sure she didn't fall over.

"Thank you…"

Their eyes met for a moment and he cleared his throat, letting her go, and met up with Harry and Ginny, both of whom were standing out on the pavement a little ahead of them. He hadn't spoken to her in days and it seemed to be frustrating him more than it was her. He hated it more than anything, but the mistake she had made could have cost her more than she grasped, and he had to make sure she understood that. If something like that happened again, he wasn't sure they'd be as lucky, or he as strong. He sighed and followed them in, already wary.

Remus didn't think he had ever seen such a weird collection of people stuffed into one big building. Ginny had gotten to know a lot of the muggle characters because of Hermione and Harry's influence, but he was still oblivious to it all. He didn't know what the meaning of a costume depicting a giant banana wearing night clothes was, or of the man dressed in a red and blue morphsuit with odd cobweb designs on it. The group stood at the bar for a while, observing the crowd, until Hermione pointed at someone and burst out laughing. Harry looked in the direction she was pointing at, and it took him a moment to realize it, before he joined her. A man was standing at the other end of the bar, dressed in white, with a massive name-card tacked to his chest that said 'Life'. Every so often, he'd stop a passerby and hand them a lemon from the sack beside him. Ginny and Remus shared a look that clearly read bemused, while they waited for their companions to bring them in on the joke.

"Any time now…"

Harry looked at his girlfriend, and pulled her as close as he could through the numerous layers of his pirate outfit, wrapping his arms around her in apology, "Sorry! I know how you hate that. I couldn't help it though. Did you see what that Pikachu girl did? She threw the lemon right back at his face, and stole his drink!"

"It's a proverb Ginny," Hermione explained, "sort of like, never tickle a sleeping dragon. Which is an idiom. Technically. They are two entirely different things, proverbs and idioms. It's sort of like one is – "

"Hermione! Going off on a tangent!"

Remus smiled next to her, watching the exchange. She had a habit of doing that; going into the technicalities of things, teaching him about things he never knew.

"Oh, sorry… I guess I just – yeah. The proverb is 'when life gives you lemons, make lemonade'. So basically, make the best of a situation life throws your way."

"Oh I see! It's not very funny though."

"It's just something you have to know and see to get the humor, Gin," Harry turned to Remus, "Well what do you say we get some drinks then?"

Hermione threw him a little salute, "Aye aye Cap'n! What would everyone like to drink?"

Ginny stepped in, knowing that Remus would hesitate to break his current vow of silence with Hermione, "Well since Remus and I don't really know the drinks they serve here, why don't you pick some shooters for us, and then we'll go from here, yeah?"

"Sounds like a plan," as expected, Remus had responded to Ginny, trying in vain to keep his eyes away from his wife for as long as he could.

Hermione ordered the group one Jager Bomb, Pornstar, and Tequila shot each, and they formed a small circle, waiting for their drinks. The bartender placed them in front of her, winking at Hermione as he handed her the chase she asked for. Her eyes instantly shot to Remus, who was stone-faced as per usual since the full moon. She divided the drinks up between them and they all toasted to one another, downing their drinks in an instant. It wasn't until another three rounds later that Ginny dragged Hermione away and onto the crowded dance floor.

Remus ordered some cocktail called Bullfrog, glaring at the bartender every chance he got, making sure no one caught him while he was at it.

_Wink at my wife will you? Well I'll show you…_

_Doing tricks with damn bottles. Think you're so bloody fancy._

He looked at the dance floor and found his young bride, dancing without a care, while he sat in a corner and sulked like the bloody fossil that he was. Who was he kidding? She could date the blasted bartender and she'd be better off. He took a large gulp of his drink, irritated for opening up this topic with himself.

"You alright, mate?"

Remus turned to Harry, and smiled weakly, "Yeah… Clubs are just not my thing anymore. I grew out of the whole clubbing scene when I was younger than you."

"Tell me about it. I don't mind clubs but they are so congested on Halloween," he looked adoringly over to the two girls, "I won't lie. I'm only here because Gin forced me."

"And I am here only to make sure Hermione is alright…"

"Join the club," Harry smiled, "How are you and 'Mione doing?"

"We're alright."

"Doesn't seem like it."

He pursed his lips, thinking of ways to deny the truth in front of Harry, "What makes you say that?"

"I have eyes, mate. The two of you got through the damn Marriage Law crap with your heads on straight, and now you aren't talking directly to her? It's sort of obvious," he pushed a little more, "If you ever need to talk to someone outside of her, you can let me know. I care about her, and I want to help, if there is anything."

Remus didn't really have any male friends to speak to anymore, and he sat silently for a moment, considering the possibility of confiding in Harry. He knew Hermione better and longer than anyone around him, and they shared the same concern for her.

Sighing, he gave in, "She – I told her. Don't come down to my transformation chamber. The blood moon is unpredictable. I don't know if I can control the wolf. But does she ever listen to what anyone tells her? She got away with a knock to her head and a few scrapes."

Harry kneaded his forehead with his fingers, "Hermione… Gods!"

"I don't know what I would have done if something happened to her – if _I_ was the reason something happened to her," he downed his whole drink and dropped his head into his hands.

Harry sighed heavily, "Look, mate, it happened. Hermione made a mistake. But punishing both yourself and her isn't the answer," Remus looked up at Harry questioningly, "Oh come on, I'm an Auror. The way you two look at each other isn't just a friendly glance. I'm not going to lie; I had my reservations, until Ginny smacked my head into place."

_The way you two look at each other…_

_Does that mean – does she – I…_

_Don't get ahead of yourself, old man._

"What do I do? I'm bloody well solving everyone's problems but I don't have a clue where to begin with my own!"

Harry smiled a little, remembering a time when Sirius had said something very similar to him, "You Marauders sure need a lot of hand-holding," both the men grinned at their memories of the shaggy dog and Harry continued, "In my opinion, I think first and foremost, start talking to her. She is a smart witch. If you tell her the whats and whys of the issue, she'll understand. And then, do something for her; something that says, I'm interested in you, and not just as a friend."

"You think so?"

"You just have to take that first step, mate. Don't wait for too long," Harry looked ever to Ginny again, "Trust me, I know."

Harry put a hand on Remus' shoulder, giving him a final look, before pushing off the edge of the bar and walking into the crowd to Ginny. He hugged her from behind, giving her a little kiss before he joined in the dancing with the two girls. Remus ordered another Bullfrog, already feeling the effects of the first one, and sat on one of the few barstools as it emptied out.

In the distance, he caught a man, casually dressed, whispering something to Hermione as he danced with her. The music was too loud and they were too far for him to catch anything that was being said, so all he saw was her giggle at some remark he had made. As Ginny busied herself with Harry, he watched the man try to inch closer to Hermione, and anger unlike any other grew inside him. He stood up, emptying his drink, and stalked over, weaving through the crowd of drunken dancers. He came up behind her and placed an arm on her shoulder, the other going on her waist. Hermione tilted her head back in surprise, relaxing as she realized who it was. Remus dropped his head down to her shoulder, his nose brushing against the skin of her neck, as she swayed from side to side to the music. Glancing up for a moment, he saw the man turn his attentions to the next available girl, and he turned his attentions back to Hermione, inhaling her scent deeply. She pushed back into him, gyrating her hips against his sensually, slowly, and he tightened his grip on her body, nipping at the crook of her neck. They continued to dance their little dance, bodies pressed to each other, reveling in the little touches and nips, until the hour passed, and the two couples decided to head their separate ways.

With a pop, they were standing outside the apartment, and Hermione giggled as she turned to him, slipping her hand into his pocket. She felt around for the keys, and looked up at him through her lashes, to find him staring at her with heavy, dark eyes. Her face grew hot, and she lingered close to him for a while after finding the keys. She turned away finally, fumbling in her drunken state, trying to unlock the door, until she heard him move closer, felt his chest press against her back, and watched his arm slide around her waist, up to grasp her hand, steadying it. Remus arched his body against hers with every breath, and fit the key inside the lock slowly, taking his time, holding her hand, and letting them feel every second of electricity passing between them. She was lost in his touch, forgetting where he was directing her hand to, just that he was holding it, just that he was so close to her, alone, here in the middle of the night. He took a deep breath, burying his face in her hair, his lips almost grazing her ear, and turned his hand, along with hers. The click of the lock startled her, breaking the silence, and she stopped leaning into him, as the door swung open in front of her.

Remus led her inside, cold air filling the space she had been standing, and closed the door behind him, leaning back against it, tired. She was standing right in front of him, barely a step away, back turned to him, and he had no idea what was going on in her head right now. He had let his emotions take over, angry at her for being so careless, at the bartender and the other man for trying to make a pass at her, and frustrated at the distance he had maintained. He had let go, and she had too. Never had he cursed the clothes on their backs as much as he had today, wanting to feel her skin on his, and to share with her the heat that he felt. She looked back at him coyly, and when he didn't say anything, she turned to leave.

Remus didn't know what he should do, nor did he think about it, giving into whatever he was feeling right now, and he grabbed her hand, stopping her. She didn't turn back this time, letting him decide whatever it was that he needed to. Hermione let out a gasp as he tugged hard on her hand, spinning her and pulling her to his chest, still leaning against the door. They stood there for a few seconds, breathing growing heavy from the adrenaline of giving in. She stared at him, and he stared back, one hand still in his hold, the other on his chest. She rested against his body, leaning her head closer to his, the tip of her nose just touching his. Remus looked at her long and hard, trying to memorize every feature of hers; afraid that he would wake up from the dream he was in. He nudged her nose with his, testing the waters before he stepped inside. He watched her eyes droop low, her chin tilt up, and he dipped his head lower, bringing his lips to hover over hers. When his skin brushed against hers, the urge to crash his lips down on hers surfaced, but he didn't want to rush anything. He wanted to take his time to get to know her body the way he had known her personality – thoroughly, inside and out. Carefully, he grazed her lips again, bringing the thumb of his free hand up to her cheek, and running it along her jaw. Cupping her chin lightly in his thumb, he held her face exactly where he wanted it, bringing his lips to press against hers a little more urgently this time.

Hermione wrapped her arm around his neck, and pulled his head lower, deepening the kiss more, as her hand clutched his for dear life. She pressed her body to his, restless, wanting to feel the toned ridges of his muscles, to run her hands all over him. Remus ran his tongue along the crease of her lips, and she parted them, tilting her head to side, giving him better access. She had never been set ablaze with just a kiss, but today, she felt a fire growing in the pit of her stomach, threatening to burn her through and through. Hermione kissed him back as fervently as he did, and he dropped her hand, lowering his arms around her and lifting her up all of a sudden. As she wrapped her limbs around him, kissing him again and again, he turned her around, wedging her between himself and the door. He deepened the kiss once more, pulling back, and then crashing down on her, like waves that swept back and forth across the naked shoreline.

Remus pulled her off from against the door, and turned around, carrying her inside the house, to his bedroom. He held his head close to hers, keeping the kiss intact the whole time, and pushing the door close with his foot, he laid her down carefully on the bed. He kicked his shoes and socks off, and dropped his coat to the floor, pulling himself on top of her, and kissing her again. She sighed into him happily, shivers running up her spine as he began to kiss sensually down her neck and along her collarbone. His hands untied the pouch of apples around her waist, tossing it aside, and he moved lower, running them along the sides of her body, feeling every dip and curve she possessed. Pulling her knee to a bend, Remus kissed the insides of her leg, as he unzipped her heels slowly, sliding them off her legs, and discarding them. He continued to kiss her down her slender legs and stopped when he reached her ankles, massaging one foot for a moment, and then the other, placing little pecks on the inside arches of her feet.

He moved back up so that he was face to face with her, and ran his tongue along her neck, nipping at her ear. Hermione's mouth fell open, her eyes closing as she ran her hands through his soft hair. Remus let out a hot breath behind her ear and she moaned, turning her head to the side. He kissed up her jaw, bringing his lips down onto hers again, tasting her mouth. He had never imagined that he would be here, with this beautiful girl in his bed, opening up to him in ways he had only ever dreamed of. He knew he was far from deserving, that she could do so much better than him, but for now, he let all the worries slip away and allowed himself to enjoy whatever she had to offer.

Fingers caressing his messy hair, Hermione let her tongue explore his mouth. She moaned again, into his lips, as his hardness pressed between her legs through her dress. She could feel his desire for her, and it shocked her to the core. When Remus had wrapped himself around her at the club, dancing with her, scaring off the other man, the same shock had gripped her. Now, in his bed, Hermione didn't know what was real and what wasn't. She had wanted him so much for long that she hadn't given a thought to what she would do if she ever got to be with him. Afraid of this, whatever this was, ending before it started, she tightened her arms around him, committing each touch, and each smell, to memory. She pressed her core into him, arching her back, thrumming with desire.

Nothing went by him. He picked up every change in breath, every arch, every sound that she made. And he used it, focusing where she reacted the most, touching her sensitive points, making her quiver underneath him. Remus broke their kiss, fluttering pecks on her nose, her eyes, and her forehead. He brushed his lips against hers, hovering over her again, as they panted, trying to calm their breathing. Her eyes were still closed and he ran a finger along her eyebrows, down her cheek, prompting her to open them and look up at her. When their eyes met, it conveyed emotions that neither had the words to express, and she smiled bashfully, looking away.

"Don't…" He pushed her chin up, and they locked eyes again. He placed a light kiss on her lips again, "I have waited a very long time for this."

Hermione's eyes widened, before they dropped again as she moaned into his ministrations, "R-really?"

"Truly."

"Me too…" Remus' body shook with those two words, and he kissed her hard, breaking away only to breathe.

"I want to ask you something Hermione," She nodded, ever so slightly, her eyes filled with wonder and adoring, as he spoke, word by word, between kisses, "Will you – go out – with me – tomorrow?"

Hermione smiled widely now, nodding eagerly, relieved that he wanted to give this a shot, give _her_ a shot. He sighed in content, gathering her up in his arms and rolling onto his back. He spread out on the bed, keeping his far arm on her waist, and the other stretched under neck. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he placed a chaste kiss on her forehead.

_I could definitely get used to this._

Closing her eyes, she draped her arm over his chest, and relaxed into the side of his body. Remus fiddled with the ends of her hair, not ready to let go of reality yet. If he fell asleep now, he wouldn't get to feel her body against his, her head on his shoulder, her leg thrown on top of his. He wouldn't get to see her lips smile as she lay next to her, happy with him. But he felt the alcohol and the exhaustion pulling him down into slumber.

"Hermione, this will change everything between us, love."

"Everything has already changed between us, Remus."

She moved her head slightly, finding a comfortable position, and shifted closer to him, smiling, "And I'm glad it has."

_**Author's Note -  
>A little bit of info because I think it explains a bit of why certain characters behaved the way they did:<br>**__- Bullfrog cocktails aren't served in all parts of the world because it has an exorbitant amount of alcohol in it, bringing it waaaay above the legal percentage of most countries. It contains a shot each of Gin, Tequila, Vodka, White Rum, and Blue Curacao, and then Red Bull on top. Just one gets you sloshed beyond belief usually. Remus had two. The daring, no fucks given attitude had to come from somewhere!  
>- Harry is a bloody Auror. I hate when people write him as dumb and oblivious to what's going on around him. He is literally trained to pick these things up. Literally trained.<br>- I think Harry would want to be a companion to Remus because they share a lot of things like their feelings towards the Marauders, as well as, now, Hermione.  
>- "Join the club"! Get it? Because… they both are there… because of girls… and they are in a club. Join the club! Looooool puns. I crack me up sometimes.<br>- Reviewing (positive and negative) is proven to be good for the health of both the reader and the writer._


	9. Stranger Danger

Disclaimer – None of the creative works of the Harry Potter series belong to me, just this silly little plot.

_**Author's Note -  
><strong>__So a review mentioned some concern over alcohol poisoning. Most of what I write pertaining real life situations like drinking for example is taken from my own personal experiences. I've had two bullfrogs, and shots on top of it. It gets you sloshed out of your mind. But I didn't get alcohol poisoning. I'm a tiny little 20 year old with barely any experience but still quite heavy weight with the alcohol and with a stomach of steel. I think after drinking (and having so many reasons to drink) for decades, Remus has developed more of a tolerance. Alcohol poisoning depends on a person's weight, height, age, tolerance, and other factors like how much they have eaten, their fitness, etc etc etc. So it not a FACT that Remus would have had alcohol poisoning, it is an OPINION. And while I appreciate your opinion, I have explained the reasoning behind mine. Thank you though, because if you don't actively criticize my work, it won't give me a reason to really think about the little details, and make it better._

_Also, life's been shitstorm after shitstorm. Sorry about the late updates. But there are things I planned for later which I have given you a glimpse of in this chapter as my way of apologizing for this and future inconsistencies in updates._

**Stranger Danger**

The sun was dipping lower by the minute, sitting hours past noon, and the world was abuzz with life. The day had begun for most people hours ago, off to work, to school, or wherever they need be. The streets were bustling with the commotion of a booming metropolis. Drivers honked at one another, cars jam packed on busy roads. Pedestrians wove through the walkways, and cyclists wove through cars, all determined to reach their destinations on time. Every corner smelled of coffee, fresh baked goods, and rain. Halloween decorations had been taken down, and winter sales had set in, as the businesses prepared for the Christmas boom. London was awake and alive.

Sunlight crept through the spaces between the curtains, and while the city hummed around them, the only sound that echoed through this room were the soft breaths of two sleeping souls, wrapped up in each other's embrace. The only movement here was the steady rise and fall of their chests, as they lay, oblivious to time. They were still in their clothes from the night before, having been too intoxicated by each other to give anything, other than their desires, a second thought. But despite the belt, the fitted jeans, the jewel encrusted dress, all constricting, the couple had never looked so comfortable in sleep as they did today, limbs tangled in a beautiful mess.

It was his eyes that opened first, and he tilted his head to the side, looking down at the gorgeous woman draped over his chest. He cracked a smile, contentment plain on his face, and craned his neck lower, placing a soft kiss on her head, before pulling her closer, and shutting his eyes again. A happy sigh escaped him, and he wanted nothing more than for her to wake up so that he could kiss her again, this time when both were sober. The thought hit him like a freight train, and panic replaced his joy. Fear came next; of what would happen, what she would say, and what she would do. He didn't know anything, only that whatever he said or did, it was not under the influence of alcohol. But he couldn't be so sure about her.

_What if she regrets it?_

_Merlin, what've I done?_

Her eyes opened next, only a few minutes later, with the promise of pulling him out of limbo. He had been going back and forth between anxiety and fear like a game of ping pong, with his life as the stake. He would know what she felt in a moment. She was awake and this was the moment of truth. She stretched out over him like a cat waking from a nap, and looked up to see his eyes closed. Moving up so that her head was in line with his, she brought her arm around his face, stroking his stubbled chin lightly, running her fingers along his sharp cheeks. She didn't want to wake him, but she couldn't resist the urge, and so she dipped her head down, leaving little kisses on his nose and lips. Her hand travelled up to his hair, stroking it with as much as admiration as the previous night, and he opened his eyes, relief washing over him, to be replaced by raw desire.

He flipped her over suddenly, smiling down at her sleepy face, "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning," she replied shyly, embarrassed at the unabashed compliment.

He kissed her, now that she was awake, and both of them were more aware than last night. She tilted her head, opening her mouth, inviting him in, and he gladly accepted, tongue sliding through her lips with ease. She responded with just as much passion, running her hands over his back, pulling him down onto her. She scrunched her nose slightly, and he broke the contact, eyeing her.

"Feeling okay?"

"Yes, I'm alright," she scrunched her nose again, "Just got this pang in my head that comes and goes."

"The alcohol will do that. Would you like to freshen up, and we'll fix something to eat, as well as something to help with the ache?"

He kissed her along her collarbone and she smiled, closing her eyes and humming under the magic of his lips, "Mmmm, that sounds good."

When he rolled off her, she let out a groan of protest, prompting him to peck her nose before climbing out of bed, and walking into the washroom. She sat there for a few moments, surrounded by his sheets, on his bed, in his bedroom, and the realization spread her lips into a giddy grin. She couldn't believe that what she had dreamed of, what she had always felt to be a distant fantasy, was now nearly a reality. But rather than overthink it and ruin her high, she crawled out of his bed and headed to her own room to wash up.

When Hermione emerged from her room, the smell of breakfast tingled her nostrils, and her grumbling belly. She padded into the kitchen, and found Remus standing over the stove, flipping an omelet. The sight of him brought back the memories of the night before, and as she sat at the island, she couldn't help but stare at him.

_Absolutely delectable._

Her thoughts wandered to the club, and how he had grabbed onto her, hot bodies gyrating against each other, beads of sweat forming on his neck, and hers; the way he nipped at her ear, the way he pecked the crook of her neck, the way their hips moved in synchrony. Hermione licked her lips, and wondered; how could a man bring about such a reaction in her so fast, without even a single word being uttered? How could he make her weak in the knees without even glancing her way, simply with partial memories and fantasies?

Remus turned around, plate in hand, and smiled at her, breaking her out of her reverie, "Glad to see you've made it out finally Mrs. Lupin. Here we go," he set the omelet down in front of her, along with other breakfast items, "Breakfast at dinner. Dig in."

"Thank you Mr. Lupin," and she did dig in.

Her stomach had been bothering her since she woke up, chastising her for depriving it of the nutrition it needed, crunching and groaning in want of a good meal. And was this a good meal. The bacon was cooked to perfection, and maybe everything just tasted better when one was outrageously hungry, but she had never had an omelet this good in her life. For a while, they ate in silence, letting their bodies normalize, pumping it with the juices it needed. And when both couldn't eat another bite, they cleared up together, Remus setting the plates to wash, while Hermione prepared tea for them.

They sat down on the couch in the living room, with Remus sitting on one end, feet propped up on the coffee table, and Hermione leaning against his chest, one arm of his thrown over her shoulder. Settled down, she grabbed the remote control and gave it a click, flipping through channels until she found something interesting for them to watch. But before they knew it, he had shifted her into his lap, turning her so that she straddled him, and they began the dance their lips had been aching to do.

"Sorry we can't really go out today. I know I said I'd like to take you."

Hermione shook her head, chuckling, "I'm not sorry. I spent that time with you, and you're not mad at me anymore."

"Well I may not be mad, but it doesn't mean what you did isn't wrong. Something could have happened to you," he lifted her hand kissed the inside of her palm, "What would I do then?"

He pulled her face down, planting a firm kiss on her lips, and she brought her arms around his neck, stroking his messy hair.

"That needs to be cut soon," he said, in an almost questioning tone.

Hermione ran her fingers through the soft, brown locks that just touched his shoulders, "Hmmm, I dunno. I quite like the feel of it."

"Then I guess it'll have to stay," he said with finality, making her giggle.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," she mumbled apologetically, "But I think I should check in with everyone, especially Ginny. She'll have my head if she doesn't get a letter from me sometime today."

Remus wrapped his arms tighter around her waist, and interrupted her sentence with kisses, "I know. You're right. You should do that."

She laughed, smacking his shoulder lightly, "I can't very well get up if you won't let me go, now can I?"

"That is the idea, Hermione."

"Remus…" she chided him playfully, and he gave in.

"Alright, alright. Write your letters. I'll just try my hand at this television thing then."

Hermione climbed off his lap and went to her room to grab her things, before coming back to the living room and sitting down on the opposite end of the couch. First and foremost, she would have to write to Ginny. She leaned against the arm of the couch, bringing her feet up onto it, so that Remus couldn't catch a glimpse of what she was writing. After all, just checking in wouldn't be enough for Ginny, and rather than not hear the end of the witch's lecture, she decided to just spill the beans. If Hermione was entirely honest with herself, her own excitement at the new developments between her and Remus was enough incentive to write to her best friend. She was exploding with emotions and she needed to tell someone, so she began to write, one by one, to all her friends; Harry, the Weasleys, her assistant, McGonagall, off the top of her head. Remus flicked through the channels until he found a show where three men tested and talked about motor vehicles. Likely his attraction to them would have stemmed from Sirius. He watched the show with interest, glancing towards Hermione occasionally.

"What is that?"

She looked up at him, "What is what?"

"That thing you have in your hand."

"Oh! It's a fountain pen."

"Are you writing with it? I've read a lot about these pen things," Remus shifted nearer to her, and she nodded, "How does that work?"

"It's a muggle invention. It's like writing with a quill, except the ink bottle is smaller and it's inside the pen itself," she uncorked the top of the pen and showed him the cartridge of ink.

"May I try it?"

Hermione handed him a piece of parchment, and a spare pen, watching him as he wrote beautiful cursive words. She had always loved his handwriting, all loopy and intricate, almost like he was writing calligraphy. He looked up at her, grinning.

"This is brilliant! It's so much more efficient, and neat! I like the grip it's got; gives you a lot more control."

"Yeah, I like fountain pens because I like the way the ink looks on parchment, but I've also got these," she pulled some ballpoints out of her case and let him try those too. Hermione would have to remember to show him other muggle articles he might find useful, like a mobile phone perhaps. She watched him play around with the pens, intrigued at the way they worked, all the colors and sizes they came in.

"I like the fountain pen. I'll have to buy myself a few of these."

"Well, keep this one. We'll pick more up the next time we are out," Hermione let him keep the ink pen, taking the rest and putting them back in the case, "Remus, do think we should invite everyone over for dinner sometime soon?"

"I think that's a good idea. Molly will probably tell me off about keeping you hidden away so many days without a single letter, so let's not give her another reason to bite my head off."

"Oh God! Molly! She told me to write to her," Hermione rubbed her temples, worried about what the witch would say.

Remus chuckled, shaking his head, "Weasley women…"

Ginny walked out of the washroom, having changed into her night clothes, and crawled into bed next to Harry. He was sitting up, cleaning the lenses of his spectacles, when she pried them out of his fingers, and left them on the bedside table, forgotten. She climbed onto his lap, and gave him a soft kiss, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Okay, love?"

"Mmmhmm…"

"What's the matter Gin?" Harry looked down at his girlfriend in confusion.

"Just thinking about Hermione and Remus. He has lost so much in his life, and so has she; more than anyone our age should have. Her friends, her parents… Ron… I just don't want them to let their potential go to waste because they think they can't have this."

He kissed the top of her head comfortingly, "They won't. Don't worry."

"How can you say that so confidently?"

"Because…" he laid her down, and stretching out next to her, propped his head on his hand, "A cheeky little meddler named Ginny Weasley is involved. And I don't think she will let them waste anything." Harry tapped her nose lightly with his finger, and she grinned at him.

"Hey! I didn't do anything!"

"Gin, I know you better than that! Give me some credit, love!"

Ginny feigned innocence, letting out an exaggerated huff, "I didn't!"

"You didn't?" she shook her head and Harry raised his eyebrow at her, "You didn't deliberately ignore Hermione, and nudge her into that guy? Or tell the bar-"

"Okay so maybe I did a _little_ thing! Heavens knows how long it would have taken one of them to say something if I hadn't. I mean, did you see how jealous Remus got?"

Harry laughed, nodding, "Yeah me, and the rest of the club."

"That girl better write to me soon, or I'll-"

He pulled Ginny closer to him and chuckled, letting his eyes close, "I bet that's exactly what Hermione's thinking right now too."

Hermione sealed off the last letter and added it to the pile on the side table next to her. She looked down to find Remus had dozed off. He had often hidden it, but the need for the smallest acts of affection showed most when he accidently let his guard down. She had seen it in the club, and she could see it now as his head lay nestled in her lap. She stroked his hair softly, and sat there for a few moments, giving him that affection he so desperately needed, before lifting his head lightly, and placing a pillow where she sat. She picked the letters off the table and, once she had sent them all, turned back to the living room to see Remus sitting up, yawning.

_How do you look so good even when you're yawning?_

Hermione walked over, and gathered her things, glancing over her shoulder to find him staring. She almost didn't know what to do with herself when he looked at her the way that he did. He stood up, stretching, and followed her, as they walked towards their rooms. She went into her own room, and put away her things, clearing up before she changed into her night clothes. But instead of getting into bed, she paced restlessly. She didn't know what would happen between them. Things had changed but where were they going? Was she supposed to say something? To do something?

Remus stood at the entrance of his room, door open, but unable to enter. It seemed empty and dark, and he knew exactly why. But then, she hadn't said anything. She had just gone back to her room. She was probably in bed by now.

_You're the one who thinks you're such a traditionalist._

_So why are you expecting her to make the moves? _

He sighed, knowing full well that he was just trying to convince himself that she didn't want this, because he was afraid that she might turn him down.

_You're not going to know until you try._

"Hermione?"

She heard him call out her name and rushed to the door, taking a deep breath and opening it as slowly as possible, "Yes?"

"Would you… like to sleep in my room?

She smiled, timidly, ever so slightly, and nodded. Remus held out his hand, and she put hers in it, letting him pull her out to him. He placed a small kiss on her nose, and led her into his room, which didn't seem as empty anymore.

Pulling his hood back, he sat down on a chair by the island, taking in his surroundings in peace.

_Nice. Very nice house you have here._

He grabbed an apple from the bowl of fruits in front of him, and hopped off the bar stool, sauntering into the living room. It had been decorated well. But it definitely had a disgusting, mudblood touch to it. He had lived among them enough to know. Television. Kitchen appliances. Stretching out on the sofa, he twirled a pen in his fingers, smiling. It was almost too easy. He took a bite out of his apple, lifting himself off the sofa and walking about, studying the room. A lazy yawn escaped him, as he picked random things around the room, examining them. Content, or perhaps bored, he took a canister out of the bag he had veiled and hid under the couch when he had entered, cast a silencing charm around him, and began spraying it across the ceiling.

_That should do…._

He surveyed his work, and went to cap the canister before he paused, smiling deviously. Inspecting the furniture around him, he sprayed bits and pieces of it. Stuffing the spray can back in his bag, he picked it off the floor and made his way to the door, quietly letting himself out.

Heading out onto the street, the man pulled his hood onto his head, casting a shadow on his face, walking through a sea of people, none who could see the murderous glint in his eyes.


	10. Granger Danger

Disclaimer – I am disclaiming the works of the Potterverse as not being of my own creation, in any which way, excluding the plot of said story that is currently in progress.

**Granger Danger**

"Ready to go, love?"

"Just another minu-" Hermione slammed the door shut with her foot as he turned the knob to open it, "No! Don't come in! I'm not done!"

He chuckled and held his hands up in the air, "Okay, okay. No need to get aggressive. Sorry."

He walked back into his room and gave himself a once over. This was an important dinner. And they both knew where it led their relationship. His nerves had spiked like never before. Here was this gorgeous, young, intelligent woman, on the other side of the wall, dressing herself up for him. He had never thought he'd come to this stage in his life, standing in his room, relaxed, content – giddy. He was wearing a crisp white shirt over fitted black jeans, and a slim-fit black coat to match. He wore dragonskin Oxfords that were a deep maroon in color, beautiful, but shoes he never had the chance to wear before. They had been a gift from Padfoot, and after the night in the Department of Mysteries, he had promised himself to save it for a special occasion, a night where he would need the strength his friend offered. Tonight was definitely special.

He ran a hand through his hair and walked out of his room, to wait in the hall. Leaning against the wall, he let his head rest back, closing his eyes. He had prepared for this date long and hard. He wanted to prove that he could give her what she wanted from life. He could give her more than that. She deserved it. But even then, his breath hitched, and doubt clouded him. He had never been sure of himself. He had never been confident in his ability to give a relationship everything, the way his friends did. There was a part of him that was a monster; a part that he never wanted anyone to see. He had hurt people before, and breaking the walls he had built to cage the wolf would only put his loved ones in danger. Hermione had already come too close for comfort. He had almost done exactly what he feared the most. Could he be everything she needed him to be? He didn't know. But he was going to try.

He heard the door creak open and opened his eyes to see her standing there, taking one tentative step at time towards him. Remus could smell the soft scent of apples radiating from her, and he didn't know what was more enticing, the way she looked, or the way she smelled. He stared at her, mesmerized at what the right dress and a little accentuation of her features could do. Pushing himself off the wall, he reached her, and placed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"You look radiant."

Remus could have thought of a thousand words to describe her, and radiant did not even come close to expressing his feelings. He wanted to hold her and tell her how extraordinary she was; how lucky he was. He had never had anything in his life that he held as dear to him as he did family. The Marauders had become a part of that family, and over the past year, Hermione had too. She had an effect on him that no woman had seemed to have. She made him feel special. She made him feel like he deserved more from life than what he had resigned himself to. He was in danger of falling too hard too fast, and she would be the cause of it. After everything he had lost, he could not fuck this up. He could not let himself scare her away. He was definitely in trouble, when it came to her.

Hermione smiled shyly, hooking her arm into his extended one, and let him lead her out of the flat. They side-along apparated to a dark alley, and he stopped for a second, checking to make sure she was okay, before walking her out onto the street. It was chilly out, something she had foolishly not prepared for, and her hair whipped around her face as the wind chilled her exposed legs. She was wearing a new skirt she had bought, Monny Rose on Canvas, which reached just above her knees. It fit her waist, giving it a slim look, but fanned out as it fell. She had paired it with a fitted back top, with lace sleeves that did little to protect her from the cold. But they didn't walk too far before they arrived at their destination.

As they reached a set of wooden doors that were decorated with the most intricately carved floral patterns, a man dressed in formal attire held the door open for them, directing them to the host.

"Welcome to Wardah."

Hermione gasped as she took in the restaurant. There were tables spread across the space, and private booths lining the walls, surrounding a small stage and a dance floor. The whole place was designed to look like it was carved into a tree, as if you were sitting inside its bark. Branches and vines extended out from the ceiling and walls, covered in beautiful, plump roses. This was a place designed specifically for a romantic night out. The lighting was dim, giving the whole room an air of sensuality, the scent of roses hanging over them, thick, intoxicating, but not over-powering. All she heard was the sound of cutlery and hushed voices around her. Remus gave the host his name, and they were directed to a small booth, where their server handed them menus and a small bell that was charmed to alert him whenever they rang it if they needed him.

After spending months in each other's company, and the past few days in each other's arms, it should not have been this difficult for them to find something to say to each other, but here and now, neither could find the words. Remus stared at her, hair pinned behind an ear, pushed to one side, as she played with the strands, twirling them around her finger, while she read the menu.

"Oh! It's a Lebanese place!"

"Yes. I don't know if you've had Lebanese food before, so I thought you might want to try it."

Hermione smiled, "I have always wanted to try it."

Silence fell again, and they broke eye contact, both looking back down at their menus. They took their time, making small talk about the food, until they finally decided, and placed their orders.

_Why is it so difficult to talk to her? _

_You talk to her at home all the damn time!_

Remus cleared his throat, "Uhh – you know… Wardah means 'Rose' in Arabic," and from there they delved into Lebanese culture, hopping from topic to topic, relaxing and falling into their easy habits. And they didn't stop even after their food had come and gone. He marveled at how easy it was to just sit and talk to her. They didn't have to be doing anything special; all they needed was each other's company and that was enough to keep them busy. But he wanted to make this night special. He didn't want it to be like any ordinary night; which is exactly why he stood up, and extended his hand to her, requesting a dance. Hermione smiled nervously, and walked over to the dance floor, where he wrapped one arm around her waist, the other interlacing his fingers with hers.

The cool melody of Amr Diab's 'Osad Einy' echoed around them as they swayed slowly from side to side.

"I don't know what the song means, but it sounds so beautiful."

Hermione looked up at him, to find his eyes piercing into her, "It is beautiful. It is one of my favourite Arabic songs."

She rested her head against his chest, listening to the foreign words make her feel things she didn't understand.

"There is something between us… even if we are far away from each other."

Remus dipped his head low, whispering in her ear.

"I can't give you up, no matter what… I can't handle the days alone. And every night, even when I sleep, you're in front of my eyes, you're everywhere."

"You're in front of my eyes…" Hermione sighed deeply, realizing what he was saying – telling her the meaning of the song, of each word, and the emotions it held, "You're everywhere."

She lifted her head to look up at him again, only to be met with petals that had begun to fall from the roses that hung above them. And in that moment, dancing under a rain of rose petals, he kissed her, softly at first, and then more urgently. She clutched the lapels of his coat, pulling him down to her, and it took every fiber in his being to break away from her. Letting go of her waist, still holding onto her hand, he guided her out of the restaurant and into the alley they had apparated into. Pulling her into a hug, he apparated them back home, and Hermione unlocked the door, shutting it behind them, before he lifted her into his arms, and carried her into the living room. He laid her down onto the couch, never letting his lips break from hers, and pressed his chest into hers, the urgency of their passion driving them to the point of no return.

"But – Remus…"

He stopped immediately, moving back, looking down at her, questioning and worried.

"W-what about the check?"

Remus dropped his head in relief, planting a heavy kiss on her lips, and grinning, "You scared me for a moment! You pick the worst times to think of the silliest things. Do I look like a dine and dash kind of a man to you? You wound me Mrs. Lupin."

Hermione laughed, but despite the humor in his tone, she felt a shiver run up her spine when he called her Mrs. Lupin. She kissed him again, and all other thoughts left their minds, the only remaining ones commanding them to touch, to feel, to push against each other fervently, trying to get closer, but never being close enough. He shrugged off his coat, letting his arms roam freely. Remus weaved his fingers through her hair, undoing her pins, letting her hair frame her face, loose curls covering a neck he so dearly wanted to run his tongue all over. He ran his hands over her body, caressing her, creating heat wherever he touched, singeing her skin. He pulled her shirt up, untucking it, and let his hands slide under it, fingers grazing the lace of her bra, teasing, but not touching. She arched her back up, silently wanting, trying to push him to go further, touch her like she hadn't been touched for far too long, and he obeyed. His palms pressed against her breasts through the thin lace, squeezing, kneading, pinching, making her moan.

Gone was their playfulness, and it was replaced by a desire so hot that it made her body thrum. Remus tugged at her shirt, and she lifted her arms, letting him pull it off her, tossing it aside, forgotten somewhere. His tongue ran down her neck, tracing her collarbone. He spread kisses between her chest, licking up the mounds, biting at her nipples one at a time, through the material. She arched her back up again and he slid his arm under her, finding the hooks of her bra and undoing them. He pulled the article off her roughly, and for a moment she reverted back, becoming conscious of how bare she lay in front of him. He kissed her as deeply as he could, easing her mouth open, easing her shoulders down, allowing her to release her tension, and become comfortable with him. It didn't take Hermione long to let go of her stiffness, and once she was open to him again, he pinched her nipple, rolling it between his fingers.

Remus moved down her body again, taking a breast in his mouth, sucking at the skin, biting her taut buds one after the other. He let his hands wander down her body, and under her skirt, rubbing the inside of her thighs. He repeated his torture, inching teasingly close before backing away. Hermione unzipped her skirt, and he pulled it down her legs, letting it drop to the floor. She lay under him, clad only in black lace panties, and heels, and he had never seen anything more erotic. She felt his bulge through his jeans and the need to feel his skin against hers threatened to overwhelm her. Feeling a little more confident, she pushed her hips up against his, rubbing him in all the right places, and he moaned in response. She didn't know what felt faster, their movements, or her heartbeat, but she was swept up by the inferno what they were feeling, and the rush was achingly amazing. Wrapping her legs around his hips, hands streaming through his hair, she pulled him down with all her force, and he let her. He grabbed onto her back, bringing himself to stand, and carried her into his room, dropping her onto his bed, only to climb on top of her. He attacked her lips again, hands running up and down her body restlessly, and she groaned in protest, making him slow down.

It was all she could do to spit word after word through breathy moans, "You… are wearing too much."

Her complaint was all it took for Remus to unbutton his shirt, while she removed his belt, unzipping his jeans. She used her heels to push his jeans off him, and he let out a sigh, one part relief, one part arousal. She could see the bulge in through his boxer briefs, pushing against the material, and it excited her to know that she had caused it.

_I turn him on. I do._

_He thinks I'm a turn on…_

Her boost in self-confidence gave her a different kind of excitement, one she channeled into boldness. Hermione slipped a hand between them, and rubbed the outside of his boxers, feeling the hardness grow with every touch, and pulled his waistband, letting it snap back onto his hips. He broke their kiss for a moment, looking at her, surprised to find a spritely look in her eyes. She bit her lips as she began to slide her hand under his waistband, and didn't know whether it was the biting or her hand that made him let out the low growl that he did. He could smell the wetness between her legs, and the sweat on her forehead, interlaced with the fruity scent of apples, and it made her seem the most tantalizing mix of innocent and feisty.

She heard him let out an almost inaudible gasp as her hand reached his hardness, and he crashed his lips down on hers, stiffening his hips in anticipation. Hermione let her fingers run down the length of him, stroking him gently. She shifted his boxer briefs off his waist and let him kick them off, and freed him from its constraints. She stroked his shaft as it sprung up once it was set loose, her fingers grazing the smooth skin of the tip, making him shake. Remus did not know how this gorgeous vixen had ended up in his bed, touching him in amazing ways, but he didn't really want to question it, so he let himself go, and let himself feel.

He shifted his weight on his knees, creating distance between them. Looking down at her almost naked body made him quiver in anticipation, and he smirked, when he caught her staring at him.

"You… are wearing too much." He used her own words on her, grinning devilishly as he lowered himself down, sliding her panties off her painfully slowly, leaving kisses down her leg, and then back up her body, until he reached her face again. His hands remained low, one caressing her breast while the other pulled her knee up, spreading her legs open for him. He let his fingers wander down between them, and finally touched her. She was wet, and his fingers gently rubbing the soft lips of her opening only made her body ache more than it already did. She pressed her hips down, into his fingers, and he ran a thumb across her clit, flicking it, and watching her whole body pulse when he did. He flicked it again, harder this time, rubbing it in circles as her hands clenched the sheets on the bed in ecstasy. Stroking her folds up and down, letting his fingers drench themselves, he eased her open, sliding a finger in at first, and then another. He pumped them slowly, in and out, hearing her moan and writhe under him, her breathing growing heavy. Her reactions only made him pump faster, pushing her clit with his thumb, bringing her closer and closer to the edge, only to back away.

Hermione groaned in protest, shaking with need, "Remus… don't stop," she pulled his hand away from her legs, but kept them spread, arching her hips up so that his tip stroked her wet heat, teasing him, tempting him, "Don't you want to be inside me?"

She looked at him with lusty eyes and it was all the permission he needed. He muttered a spell and positioned himself above her, giving her a soft, sensual kiss as he eased himself into her waiting body. The slick heat that enveloped his shaft drove him near insane.

"Ohhh, you are so tight, love."

Remus shut his eyes, bringing his hips back, and then pounding deep into her, slow but hard. Her head pushed back into the bed, lips parting in hot, husky sighs. He pulled back again, thrusting into her with force, and she let her hands grab his butt, trying to bring him deeper inside her.

He gave her a few more slow thrusts, taking his time, before she began to squirm, "Faster…" He obeyed her command, picking up speed, but trying to keep control.

"Remus…" his name on her lips, escaping as moans, while he plunged into her, made him more and more aroused, "Faster!" Her fingers dug into his skin and he was more than happy to oblige.

He picked up his pace, pounding into her faster and harder, her noises getting louder, as their skin slapped against each other in a sexy, smoldering frenzy.

"So close… Remus…" As his movements grew faster, so did her breathing, and she wrapped her legs around him, trying to bring them together, her insides squeezing his length.

"I'm coming, baby. Come with me," Remus brought his hand down to her clit, flicking it again and again in rhythm with his thrusts, "Come with me, Hermione."

He gave her one last, hard pound and came into her, the force and warmth sending her over the edge with him. For a moment they remained that way, letting their juices spill out, releasing their bodies from the high they had been in, until Remus' body came down on hers. Hermione stroked his back, and allowed him to release his weight onto her completely, as he tried to regulate his breathing. She let her body relax under his, feeling his cock throbbing inside her still, beginning its own descent. After regaining a bit of her composure, Hermione silently summoned her wand, and cast a cleaning spell on them.

Remus lifted his head up from the crook of her neck. He pulled himself out of her, leaning to the side, propping himself up on his elbow. Stroking her face, he couldn't resist the urge to kiss her again.

"You're wonderful."

He saw her shyness returning, and began to kiss her across her face, starting from her nose, to her cheeks, tracing her jawline.

"Are you okay? I didn't want to be too hard on you."

Hermione knew he was concerned; he was always concerned, and she placed a reassuring hand on his chest, patting it gently.

"I'm perfectly fine. And you were perfect."

He sighed in relief, turning to lie on his back. He stretched his arm out, and she rest her head on it, letting her body drape across his chest.

Giggling, she turned her head to him, "Can you bring me in on what's funny?"

Hermione nodded, "Do I have your permission to take my shoes off now?"

A grin broke out on his face as he looked to her feet, "I'm not sure about that Mrs. Lupin. You look like quite the minx wearing just your little heels," Remus gave her a peck and got up, moving to her feet. He undid the straps, and slid the shoes off, kissing her ankles. Setting the shoes aside, he returned to his spot, and she rested on his strong chest again, their naked bodies sharing warmth, as the two tired souls passed out in each other's embrace.


End file.
